LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 





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''But now being made free from sin 
and become Servants of God. 

Ye have your fruit unto holiness 
and the end everlasting lif©." 

—Romans, 6:22. 

' "Many shall be purified 
and made white 

and tried." Dan'. 12 : 10 € 



1888 

Taylor Printiug Co. 

Fulton, Ky. 



"^mi 



Tab I4MARV 

OF CONGRKgi 



WASHINGTtO^ 






THIRD EDITION. 




COPYRIGHTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
1888. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Dear Brother: This is the third Edition of 
this book, with some little additions to the last 
Edition especially in the 2oth chapter yon will 
find an acconnt of how I was exclnded from the 
Baptist Chnrch !! for the doctrine herein tanght!!! 
I pray that itjna}^ be a blessing to yon and 
to him that readeth, Amen. 

' Yonr Brother, 

Thomas Wadlington. 



a mm MS mm 




CHAPTER I. 



Can a man be a Christian and not Know It? 

If I ask a man, Are you a Democrat? He 
says at once he is, and a simon-pure one too. 

I ask another, Are 3*ou a Republican? He 
unhesitatingly says he is. . I heard one poor 
old man, with his hair as white as wool, say he was 
a Repulican as ^'black as the devil." He seemed 
to have no doubts about it. 

I say to another, Are you a Baptist, Brother? 
The answer comes in this way. Yes, sir, and a 
^^Landmarker,'' too. Poor man! learn what this 
meaneth: To be "Landmark'' Baptists in the 
truest sense is to be holy men and women in the 
Lord. Holiness is Landmarkism. The Exami- 
ner, of New York, was certainly right in one of 
its last April, a year gone, issues, when it stated 
that there were certain localities in the South 
which were "cursed with Landmarkism, so- 
called.'' 

Now I come to one and say, Brother, are 



HOLINESS 



you a Christian? And after some hesitancy he 
says, Well, I don't know — I hope so!!! Why, 
Brother, there is nothing so transforming as Re- 
ligion. It changes the man inside and out. 
Can a man be a Christian and not know it? — 
born from on high and not know it? 

Can a man be turned out of a dark dungeon 
and not know it? Can a man have his eyes 
openea that was born blind and not know it? 
Can a man be resurrected from the dead and not 
know it? If so, then he may be a Christian and 
not know it, as the regenerated men is compared 
to all these and more. 

Hear the man of Uz: ''I know that my 
Pvedeemer liveth.''— Job 19:25. Hear Paul: 
^'I know whom I have believed."— 2d Tim., 1 : 2. 
St. John says in his 1st epistle, 5 : 13: ''These 
things have I written unto you that believe on 
the name of the Son of God, that ye may know 
that ye HAyE eternal life. 

If you, my Brother or Sister, can't decide 
about your condition spiritually, who can? 
Can any of your neighbors decide it? I fear not. 
Dear Brother, never rest until you can exclaim 
with the great Apostle: 'The Spirit itself bear- 
eth witness with our spirit that we are children 
of God." This is the "Landmarkism" we as a 
people are suffering for to-day — a living witness 
or testimony that we are the children of God. 



HOLINESS. 



CHAPTER II. 



The Flesh and Spirit. 

If in deed J there be really such a state as a 
pure spirit, and sinful flesh, as some teach, how 
ma}^ a converted man be distinguished from an 
unconverted man? What is the mark of differ- 
ence? If the converted are servants of sin and 
can't live without sin, and sin all the time, cer- 
tainly the unconverted can do no more. Then 
where is the difference — and what is the blessing 
or advantage in conversion, or the new life? An 
outward profession and baptism seems to be all 
there is in it. Why should we make any attempt 
at perfection if such a tning is an impossibility 
and a heresy to be punished by ^'the judges?'' 

If there be no such thing as perfection why 
do men object to the faults of their fellowman? 
Why do we blame our Brother for falsehood, if 
a man cannot ^'tell the truth the whole truth, and 
nothing but truth?" We should indeed, not be 
astonished at any kind of falsehood or failing of 
our Brother if he cannot be i3erfect. 

Why is the young woman who dances at the pic- 
nic or in the ball-room arraigned in church be- 
fore a preacher and church that object to perfec- 
tion and excluded if she can't be perfect, for 
dancing? Every woman so oflfending and brought 



8 HOLINESS, 



before the church that objects to perfection, or 
preaches the doctrine of a ^'pure spirit but sinful 
flesh" should go to the trial, for she will be, tried 
and when her case is called, she should go up and 
make her confession of guilt, saying, "Yes, 
Brother preacher aad Brethren, I did dance, but 
you know you said in your preaching, that we 
could not be perfect in the flesh, and that perfec- 
tion was heresy — that the spirit was sanctified but 
that the flesh was not and could not be. Now 
dear Brethren it was not m}^ spirit that danced, 
0, no, I am sanctified in spirit, but it was my 
FLESH that DANCED." And uevcr in the world 
could that won.ian with any degree of reason or 
consistency be excluded from the church. 

My flesh is no more than my cuat sleeve, 
which ever w^ay my arm moves my sleeve will go. 
So with the flesh, which ever way the spirit goes 
the flesh will go. If it be a pure spirit the words 
will be pure and gentle. A pure spirit will take 
men to pure places, make them speak the truth 
in love, give good measure, make men charitable. 
A sinful spirit will make a man highminded, self- 
Avilled, soon angry, will take a man to bad houses, 
makes him dishonest in trading. "Every tree is 
known by its fruits." Talk to me about a man 
being angelic inside where none can see it and 
like the devil on the outside! What strange stuff" 
is this? Will the common law excuse a criminal 



HOLINESS. 



on such an excuse? Can he say ''I am a sancti- 
fied man in spirit, it was not me that l^illed the 
man but my flesh done it (!) Certainly no 
court would excuse the man on such a plea. But 
this is the doctrine of some churches. 

'•A sanctified spirit but sinful flesh(!) I find 
this doctrine common in parts of the South and 
West and very popular among the people known 
as Baptist '^Landmarkers" so-called. Any six- 
teen year old boy might expose the fallacy of 
such Theology!! 

Why the Book says if ye walk after the flesh 
ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit do mor- 
tify the deeds of the body ye shall live. These 
Landmark Baptist who teach the doctrine of a 
pure spirit but a sinful flesh, are like the Laodi- 
cean church, they are ''neither hot nor cold." 
Better be even ''cold" than in this "lukew^arm" 
state. They are certainly well described in the 
following lines of the poet. 

"To good and evil equal bent 
I'm both a devil and a saint." 

The Spirit of inspiration never compares 
Christians to bats but to eagles. However these 
sinning saints are certainly more like a bat than 
any other bird nor beast. So with these Saint 
sinners, they are neither sinner nor saint. And 
very much like these birds they love to live in 
dark places — can't stand sun shine. 



10 HTOLINKSS' 



Religion, like smallpox, breaks out, will show 
on the outside, will control the hands, tongue,, 
and feet. Tliese ''Landmark-' Bapti&ts have not 
got far enough from their sins, only to have them 
pushed out and lodged in the flesh where they do 
all this mischief. Tlie sweet singer of Israel 
teaches a grander deliverance from sin. ''As far 
as the East is from the West so far hath he re- 
moved our transgressions from us.' 'Psalm 103: 12. 
Job saA^s "Thou shalt j9w/' away iniquity far from 

thy TABERNACLES.'^ 

There is much in these words, "For he that 
bH:)weth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corrup- 
tion.'' What is understood by " so ^\dng to the 
flesh" but the wMy we trade and talk? We sow 
in our words, ways and intentions: if it be to the 
flesh the harvest will be a corrupt harvest, if to 
the spirit the crop will be life everlasting. 

O, what will the end of these things be when 
'-"Holiness" has become heresey with "Land- 
markers?" Man that can't quit sinning pretend- 
ing to serve God is like a well wuthout water. 
The weary Arab sees a well in the distance, there 
are the palm trees inviting him to their shade, he 
is burning with heat and raging wdth thirst, .and 
in an ecstacy of delight he urges on his fagging 
camel with all his might to reach the well, when 
there he alights and hastens to the curb, but ah! 
to his awful despair, he finds that the "well is 



iiDxr>:Ess. 11 



dry.'' He novr must take up his weary pilgrim- 
rage to die in tlie desert. He is like a cloud that 
is carried a]>out with a tempest — ^without rain. 
How often in time of drouth does one poor farmer 
>^ay to another, it will rain to-day. yes, we are 
going to have rain. The drouth has l)een a con* 
tinual one, vegetation is all vrithering down, the 
<'orn blades are all rolling up, and famine from 
all appea^rances, seems inevitable. But still the 
farmer says we will have rain to-day. One of his 
neighbors who sa.ys he can't pay his rent and 
that he can't make a half of a crop, ask him 
"why he thinks it will rain, who is pointed to a 
small black cloud in the AVest, that is rising and 
gathering as it comes, finally it streches out to 
the North and South and the low rumble of th€ 
distant thunder is heard: both agree now that it 
will rain. They run to their houses and fix the 
guttering, set out their tubs and kettles and pre- 
pare everything for the rain. On the cloud comes 
with a great bluster and blow, and over it goes, 
but no rain! Instead of a rain there is a drying, 
withering, blighting wind that makes the earth 
dryer than before. These people that pretend to 
be Christians and can't ^^cease from sin'' are like 
these clouds that are carried about with a tem- 
pest, they make a false show. They are like 
wells without water, that tantalize and deceive 
the weary traveler. 

Why, my Brother, does Paul in 1 Thes. 5: 23 



12 HOLINESS. 



pray that the God of peace would sanctif}^ wholly 
the Thessalonians and preserve them, soul, body, 
and spirit, unto the coming of our Lord, BLAME- 
LESS, if it be impossible to be holy in this life? 

Strange the notions that pretending Chris- 
tians have of Holiness. One says, ''If we were 
holy we would never die.'' While another says 
if we were holy a^nd free from sin we could not 
live a moment. Like Holiness ever killed peo- 
ple(!) Or infants never die (!!). 

Some seem to think that the Lord don't Jill 
us with righteousness 1:>ut measures out the Spirit 
like some folks mearsure potatoes (of whom I've 
heard, true or not, that illustrates the case). 
strike the measure with a crooked hame and turn 
the crook down: this is not God's measure. No. 
Hear it ye scoffers at the doctrine of Holiness — 
ye sinning Saints(!) 3^e half-filled Christians. 
''Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righte- 
ousness for they shall be filled.'' Not half way 
filled, but ^ZZ^t?. If a man is filled with right- 
eousness there is no room for unrighteousness. 
David said, ''my cup runneth over." The Lord 
required the Jews to bring a lamb without blem- 
ish to his altar, which they did for a time but falling 
aAvay finally, they brought the sickly and deform- 
ed ones, and history has it that they even offered 
dead bodies on the altar instead of the best lamb 
in all the flock. Brother, has not the church 
gotten to this to-day in our midst — waiting until 



HOLINESS 13 



they die to get holy? They must serve the devil 
while they live but when they die, when their 
bodies become good for nothing but food for 
worms! then they give it to God(!j ''I beseech 
jou, therefore by the mercies of God that ye pre- 
sent your bodies a LIVING sacrifice hoh^ accept- 
able unto God which is your reasoxable service'' 
The Scribes and hypocrites in the time of 
our Lord's ministry did make clean the outside of 
the cup and the platter, while the inside v\'as full 
of dead mens bones and all uncleaness. Now, 
modern theologian have reversed the man and got 
the good part on the inside, where none can see it, 
and the depraved part on the outside (!!) 



14 HOLINESS 



CHAPTER HI 



The Commandments. 

Strange the idea that the church entertains 
regarding the keeping of the commandments — 
saying that we cannot keep the commandments. 
A preacher not long since said to me, "There is 
not a man on earth wlio can keep the command- 
ments. '^ ^^^hy? then, were they given? Why all 
that fearful rocking of Sinai — that awful thun- 
der and lightning, and the souading of the trum- 
pet, and the ascending smoke, and the giving of 
the law to Moses? Was all this gotten up as 
a meanino:less show — to affright the Israelites ? 
Can it be that God would give man a law that 
was beyond his power to keep, and then punish 
man for violated law!!? Certainly not. Will a 
father deal so with his children? Not one. 

The laws of the G-overnment must be faith- 
fully observed, and the transgressor, though he 
be the widow's only, boy, must pay the full pen- 
alty of the law. 

Can we conceive of God as giving a law and 
not requiring strict obedience to His law ? 
Must more than e3,000,000 of slaves '^go free" on 
a certain day because a certain man decrees it? 
Must 300,000 men leave their homes and families 
dear as life to them and go into awful combat just 



HOLINESS, 15 



because the Nation calls ? Must the young man 
hang at the rope's end just because the law says, 
*'Thou shalt not kilP"? And can we violate God's 
holy law with the excuse that w^e cannot keep 
the connnandments? AVhen we read ^'Thou shall 
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, 
soul and strength" it is our duty to so love Him, 
and when we thus love God we will love our 
neighbor as ourself. 

But, say many, ''We live under a new dis- 
pensation." What is the new dispensation, Bro- 
ther? Hear it: The Old says, 'Thou shalt not 
commit adultery." The New says, "WhosocA^er 
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath com- 
mitted adultery with her already in his heart." 
The Old said, "Thou shalt not kill." The 
New said, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a 
murderer." You see the difference in the dis- 
pensation in the above. Oh, Brother, love God 
with all your heart and the others are easily kept. 

The reason the commandments are not kept 
is because we don't want to keep them. The 
young man said to Jesus, "All these have I 
kept from my youth up." Our Lord said, "Who- 
soever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth 
them XOT, shall be like the man who built his 
house on the sand." "If ye know these things 
happy are ye if ye do them." 

Keeping the commandments is not perfec- 
tion. Jesus said to the young man, "If thou 



16 HOLINESS 



wilt be perfect sell that thou hast." Now, young 
man J if you desire perfection keep the command- 
ments — in the first place — and in the second 
place give up everything for God. Die to the 
world. Give up pride, the Holy Spirit can^t 
dwell in a proud heart. Give up revenge, malice, 
hatred, self-will. And then live to God — com- 
mune with Him by day and by night, and so "be 
ye also ready. '"^ 

"He that saith I knoAv Him and keepeth 
not His commandments is a liar^ and the truth 
is not in him.'' — 1st John, 2:4. 

Oh! we must die to the world and its ap- 
plause! Be crucified with Christ that you may 
live with Him. To aie to sin is not an easy death, 
it is compared to crucifixion. But praise the 
Lord. The life that follows such a death is sweet, 
calm and peaceful. 



HOLINESS, 17 



CHAPTER IV 



'The Kingdom of Heaven." 

Our Savior, while on earth, said that "The 
Kingdom of Heaven is in you." And He com- 
pared it to what? Xot to a melting snail, nor to 
smoke out of the chimne}^, nor to the morning 
cloud, nor to the early dew, all of which soon 
passeth away. True, the above things are much 
like the profession of some people's religion — 
soon gone. 

He compared the "Kingdom of Heaven in 
you" to a grain of mustard seed, and to leaven. 
The grain of mustard seed is very small and 
grows in the East, it is said, to a great size. The 
leaven has a permeating, prowling, searching, 
changing nature, and ceases not this until the 
whole lump is leavened 

Unto what did He compare the child of 
God? To a bat that lives in dark rooms and caves 
of the earth? To an owl that flies in the night ? 
Xot so, though many of our Brethren and Sisters 
in the churches are like these cave bats and 
night owls! The Lord have mercy on such birds 
that fly in the night and move in the dark! ! 

He compared the child of God to the eagle — 
the eagle that flies higher than any bird. There 
is a tradition of this. bird : That everv ten vears 



18 HOLINESS. 



he becomes weary of the desolations of his Alpine 
home, and, turning his eye to the sun, flies sun- 
ward until his strength is gone, when he falls in- 
to the sea and molts. Again after ten years he, 
becoming weary of the desolations around him, 
attempts to fly to the sun, when he agains ftills in- 
to the sea where again he molts, and so on un- 
til he is a hundred years old when he fcxlls to rise 
no more. Brother, did you ever, like the eagle, 
attempt to go to the Son (Jesus)? 

Look about you — you are more desolately 
environed than the eagle on the Alps. The cries 
of the suffering and the dying are on every side 
together with the graves of the dead. 

Death assumes a thousand shapes and hal- 
lows no day ! ! Sin is a serpent of many heads 
and creeps through all these mountains and rocks 
of desolation with a million bloody hands and 
feet, and eyes as red as the flames of perdition. 

Learn a lesson from this bird and get up 
closer to Jesus. Fly high. Oh ! fly high, Brother! 
''They that wait on the Lord shall mount up with 
wings as eagles.^' Isa. 40:3L 

AVe are told to add to our faith virtue, knowl- 
edge, temperance, patience, Godliness, brotherly 
kindness and to brotherly kindness charity, 
which implies a consummation — an end not of 
grace but an end in grace. 

We all admit that God is omnipotent and then 



HOLINESS. • 19 



destroy this faith when we deny that He is able 
to save us from all sin. 

The doctrine of christian perseverance is 
very strongly taught in the above comparisons, 
and the doctrine of perseverance is the founda- 
tion of Holiness. Hence John says, ^^ Every 
one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself 
even as he is pure.'" 1st John, 3 : 3, 



20 * HOLINESS. 



CHAPTER V. 

Consecration. 

Consecration is the last stage through which 
we pass to enter (and obtain by faith ,) the sancti- 
fied state. While I would not attempt to tell 
the very day of my conversion, I can tell, and do 
know the very day and place when I was conse- 
crated to God. On the 13th of Dec, 1885, one 
quiet Sunday evening, I made the offering unre- 
servedly and wholly. I gave myself to God, 
soul and body, for time and for eternity. 0, 
blessed be His holy name, how happy and con- 
tented I have been since ! I often think of Jacob's 
^'Vow," and of the command, ''Present your 
bodies a living sacrifice." I am often surprised 
at nwself ! ! Once the world and the things of 
the world engaged my mind to such a fearful 
and dangerous extent — now so dead to the 
world and the things of the world. ''I am dead 
to the world — nevertheless I live ; yet- not I but 
Christ liveth in me." 

Now, dear Brother, it is not right common 
for men in the midst of health, friends, flattery 
and prosperity to go into the state of consecra- 
tion. Driven from home as Jacob was, sleeping 
in the open air, with a rock for our pillow will of- 
ten help us to ascend the ladder that Jacob saw — 
consecration is one of the rounds. Afflictions are 
sometimes another means. Praise the Lord for 



:aoLix'ES3. ' 21 



'-' sweet afflictions. '' It was on coming back to 
Jiealth that I love God so much as to give Him 
all, Brother. My altar burns since that da3\ 
Some people^s altars are as cold as Baal's on Car- 
iiiel. ^Vhiie they, like BaaFs worshi}3ers, cry out, 
-''0, Lord, hear — hear us— hear us/' If you want 
3^our altar to burn, give ail to God and the hre 
will fall, and the people will be convinced, if not 
converted. 

The road to glory never seemed so short as it 
has since this offering-. It seems as if heaven had 
•extended its corporations and made us a part of 
the same — ^and we were surburbans of glory. I 
know that this is ' 'heaven's border land/' 

Consecration might be taken for sanctifica- 
tion, as there is a wonderful degree of similarity 
existing between the two. They, like twin sis- 
ters, go lovingly together to glory. Really, I be- 
lieve consecration to be all sanctification is— 
faith excepted. But consecration might have 
sin — not active, but passive, which is removed by 
faith in the power and will of Jesus to save us 
from all sin. 

I verily though often, while in the consecra- 
ted state: ''Is it not sanctification?" But now I 
know it Avas not, because I did • not believe that 
Jesus was able to save me from all sin — -and able 
to save me all the time. 

Afflictions, I know, helped me into this 
blessed state. St. Paul said that they (afflictions) 



22 HOLINESS. 



work out for us a far more and exceeding weight 
of glory — consecrrition is the tent — sanctification 
is the manna. 

To consecrate is to dedicate solemnly to Al- 
mighty God — to set apart to a holy purpose. 
Brother, come closer to God in this way. Give 
your body, as Avell as your soul, to God. ..Glorify 
Him in your souls and bodies which are His. A 
living sacrifice, holy acceptable, is what our Lord 
wants — niake it without delay. If we had a 
thousand bodies it would be an offering too 
small when compared to what Jesus suffered for 
us. Consecration is not a hard work. The devil 
will likely persuade you that it is an impossible 
thing to give your whole soul and body to God ; 
and also try to make you think that if you made 
the offering in the morning, by night you would 
be back to his dirty work, and so awe you from 
the attempt. But, my dear Brother, you believe 
God rather than the devil, and '' present your 
bodies a living sacrifice" to God, holy and ac- 
ceptable, which is your reasonable service. 



HOLINESS 23 



CHAPTER A^I. 



Examples of Consecration. 

For Moses said, ^'Consecrate yourselves to- 
day in the Lor a, eyen every man upon his son, and 
upon his brother, that he may bestow a blessing 
upon you this day."— Ex 32 : 29. 

You see, Brother, that a blessing was to be 
the result of this consecration. 

''Seven days shall they purge the altar and 
purify it, and they shall consecrate themselves." 
Ezek. 43 : 26. After this consecration the priests 
were to make their offerings and had the promise 
of being accepted. See next verse. 

And Hezekiah answered and said, "Now 
3^e have consecrated yourselves to the " Lord, 
come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offer- 
ing into the house of the Lord" — 2ch., 29 — 31. 
Here was another instance of consecration to the 
Lord. The consecrated brought offerings to the 
Lord (as the word implies), in the prophetic 
dispensation. In the present dispensation we 
have no priest on earth as was Aaron to bring our 
offerings to, to atone for our sins, and as an offer- 
ing for and sign of consecration. But we can go 
to Jesus by faith and make the offering of soul 
and body for time and for eternity. This is the 
offering He requires. A body living^ — holy and 
acceptable, which is but our reasonable service. 



M H'OLrNEKb^ 



CHAPTER VII 



Holiness. 

What is holiKess? Here is the gi-eat ques- 
tion — the most imp(,)rtant question — for the Word 
savs that withont holiness no man shall see the^ 
Lord. If it had said Vf ithout baptisn^ none shall 
see Him J we might contend about it as some do — 
hut it don't say so. I repeat the question^ What 
is H - O -^- I,"^-- I-^N^E-^S-S? Holiness 
I believe to be this in the heart of man : To 
have every passion and temper and disposition 
and desire in meek and humble subjectix)n to 
God^s holy will. To sarin all things, Thy will.. 
Lord, not mine be done. To love the Lord thy 
(rod with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thy- 
self. To take pleasure in infirmities — in re- 
proaches—in necessities— for Christ's sake. To 
be gentle and meek to all men under all circum- 
stances and at all times. This kind of holiness 
in the heart of man changes the body. His 
hands, his feet, his tongue, are all the instruments 
of righteousness unto holiness — His body is a 
'^TEMPLE-^a HOLY TEMPLE" ! f in which God 
designs to dwell — ^^with the Son of His love, and 
the world's redeemer. Brother, is God really and 
truly dwelling in your body ? — if so it is holy — 
for God can't stay where sin is. ^'If Christ be in 



HOLINESS 25 



you, the BODY is dead because of sin." — Rom., 
8 : 10. 

If tlie church is not contending for holiness, 
for what is it contending ? The point at issue 
will never be reached until w^e as God's people 
come out auvd contend for Holiness, which means 
sanctification — perfect love — charity. There and 
then the victory will come to God's people. 

The Revolutionary Fathers fought many 
battles before they knew for what the fought. 
Finally, after many months hard fighting, when 
the Declaration of Independenc was signed — 
with the name of John Hancock at the head and 
that of George AValton at the tail — the issues of 
the war were met. They fought for ''Liberty." 

In the late war of secession, many hard bat- 
tles were fought before the point at issue was 
reached, but finally when Abraham Lincoln de- 
clared that on a certain day the slaves should all 
be free. Armies fought no more uncertain battles 
])ut they knew for what they warred. 

Now the church in many places has been, 
and is to this good day, warring an uncertain 
warfare ! ! AVhat must be done? What are we 
contending for? A partial deliverance from sin? 
Xo. Let us contend for full salvation — ''Holi- 
ness" — write it on the banner of every soldier. 
The high priest wore it always between his eyes — 
"Holiness unto the Lord," and with such an en- 
sign, in the name of the Lord, the world will be 



26 HOLIXP]S: 



converted. Not long since I was requested to 
preach in the town of Dyersburg, Tenn., on th(» 
subject of sanctiiication. The announcement 
Avas properly made in tlie Gazette, the paper of 
the towai, and h)W^ and behold! when the day 
came and I had gotten there to fill the appoint- 
ment, I was informed by one of the Deacons that 
there were objections to that doctrine being preach- 
ed in their church house ! ! ! and I was dependent 
on the Y. M. C. A. for their hall, which was free- 
ly granted. But I wonder much what kind of 
doctrine they have preached within that house 
— if they can't stand to hear Holiness? ! ! 

Any Baptist church that is afraid of llie doc- 
trine of holiness — sanctificatiun — has departed 
froju the faith. 

The command in the Old Testament was, 
"Be ye therefore perfect even as your father in 
heaven is perfect. " He taught the disciples to 
pray, ''Thy will be done on earth as it is done 
in heaven. " If the above passages mean any- 
thing they mean all that is expressed, if not, they 
mean nothing. 

A good brother said to me not long since, I 
wish 3^ou would come and preach some for us, for 
we have members who are living in adultery and 
some of the members know it ; and besides all 
this, this man is one of the leaders in the church 
— going as messenger to the Association ! ! Oh, 
vrhat a picture, Brother ! This is uglier theai mor- 



HOLINESS. 27 



nioiiism. May the good Lord deliver us and 
save such a one' from the lake of fire and brim- 
stone. St. Paul is very plain in his words lO 
Timothy, concerning these despisers of those that 
are good, and of the unholy. He says, "'For of 
THIS SORT are they which creep into houses, and 
lead captive silly vroMAX laden with sins, led 
aways with diverse lusts!'!! See 2nd Tim. 2 : 6. 
A popular doctor of medicine said to me, ''Sir 
I would have ni}^ right hand taken off before I 
would be guilty of things that the members of a 
certain church are guilty of." Now, Brother, is 
it strange that such people should object to sane- 
tification or holiness? Not at all. 

Some people are like the Arkansas negro is 
said to be— very religious but having very little 
morality. Religion that don't make us moral is 
certainly a very poor kind. This is the same in 
kind with that that has a pure spirit but sinful 
flesh ! ! ! 

Many of our brethren are continually urging 
us to go on to perfection, but no sooner are we 
arrived there than the cry of /'heresy" is raised, 
ynd we are anathematised as unsound in the faith 
and good for nothing but the fires of their indig- 
nation, 0, Lord, open their e^^es that they ma}^ 
see. 

I verily believe some object to the doctrine 
of holiness, or sanctification, because the Metho- 
dist teach the same in part. Such preachers 



28 HOLINESS, 



should think awhile, for they teach Methodist 
doctrine when they teach that our Lord left Jos- 
eph's tomb on the morning of the third day. 
The Methodists teach the same all over this land. 
But a short time since I was accused by one of 
my brethren J so I was told by another, of preach- 
ing Methodist doctrine because I had said I be- 
lieved that the rich man fed Lazarus. I suppose 
the good Brother had heard sonic Methodist 
preacher say something simihir and he just con- 
cluded that tiiat was Methodist doctrine ! ! ! So 
much for ignorance. 

My dear Brother, I would not lead you astray 
for all the world; hence I plead with you, and 
with all that hive our Lord Jesus Christ, never 
to be contented short of ^Terfect Love"— of ^-Rest" 
in Jesus. ''We that believe do enter into rest." 
— short of holiness without which no man shall 
see the Lord. 



HOLINESS, 29 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Holiness, Prophecies of. 

'•"We have also a iLore sure word of prophecy 
Vv'hereunto ye do d^vell that je take heed." — 2 Pet. 
1 :19. ' 

Peter says we do well to take need to the 
word of prophecy. Did the prophets say any- 
thing about this holiness or sanctification ? We 
will see, Brother. 

Daaiiel said : " Many shail be purified and 
made white and tried. " — Dan. 12 : 10. Many, 
he says many, shall be made white ; but how 
many ? None can tell. 

''And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of 
silver, and he shall purifiy the sons of Levi and 
purge them as gold and silver, that they may 
offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.'' 
—Mai., 3: 3. 

"And I will turn my hands upon thee, and 
purely purge away thy dross, and take away thy 
sin."— Isa., 1 : 25. 

"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you 
and ye shalLbe clean from all your filthiness and 
from all your idols will I cleanse you." — Ezek., 
36:25. 

The above prophecies plainly teach that 
many shall be made white — purified — sanctified. 



30 HOLINESS 



One says they shall be purified as silver and gold; 
another that they shall be sprinkled and cleansed 
— the elements used being fire and water. The 
Holy Spirit is intended thereby certainly, as it 
is compared both to fire and water. 

^'Purifying the sons of Levi as gold and 
silver are purified'' is conclusive evidence that 
there was good in these sons of Levi. Not so 
with the unconverted, for he is said to be dead 
and BLIND. He that is dead hath no life — the 
blind cannot see. 



HOLINESS. 31 



CHAPTER IX 



Sanctification. 

Charles H. Spurgeon (B.) of London, says: 
^'To be made holy is a heavenly boon. To be 
sanctified is as great a favor as to be justified. 
Purity of heart is to be had by believing in the 
Lord Jesus Christ." Is not this good news? See 
sermon in ^'Examiner" of New York, of August 
26th, '86. 

When writing on this subject some months 
ago, I had not claimed the blessing of sanctifi- 
cation. But now, all honor to His glorious name, 
I trust my Lord for full salvation. I feel that 
there is power in Jesus' blood to cleanse and 
keep me from all sin. Brother, pray don't think 
this strange or call me wild. Why should it be 
thought a thing incredible that the Son should 
make us free? Well may A. B. Earl write of the 
"rest in faith" or John Bunyan of "Beulah's 
land" and of the country on his way where the 
sun shines all the time. David wrote well when 
he said, "He maketh me to lie down in green 
PASTURES. He leadeth me beside still waters." 
What less could Paul have meant than sanctifi- 
cation when he wrote of "sitting together in 
heavenly places in Christ Jesus ? " 



32 HOLINESS'. 



This is the rest I have prayed for so long. It 
is trust in Jesiis without a fear. It is perfect 
love — it is the grandest of all the cliristian's 
graces — his crown. It is charity. It is the giv- 
ing of body as well as soul to God — our hands as 
well as our hearts. It is faith that works by love 
and by which we enter into rest. ''We that 
believe do enter into rest." 

Edgar M. Levy (B.) D. D., of Piiiladelphia, 
says: ''But while we regard justification by 
faith of vital importance, we must not overlook 
the equally important doctrine of sanctification 
by faith.'' 

In the Baptist Church Manual by J. Newton 
Brown, D. D., of Philadelphia, is found the dec- 
laration of faith of Philadelphia Baptists in 
eighteen articles. The tenth reacts as follows: 
" X. Of Sanctification." 

"We believe that sanctification is the pro- 
cess, by which, according to the will of God, we 
are made partakers of His holiness, that it is a 
progressive work, that it begun in regeneration, 
and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers 
by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, 
the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use 
o ' the appointed means — especially the Word of 
God. Self-examination — self-denial — watchful- 
ness — and prayer." 

In article 17 we read as follows: "We be- 



HOLINESS 3;^ 



QQ 



lieve that there is a radical and essential differ- 
ence between the righteous ana the wicked: that 
such only as throuo-h faith are justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the 
spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His es- 
teem/' 

The above expressions of faith are from the 
leading Baptists of America and Europe, and 
are founded on God's word, and well w^orthy of 
adoption by all God's people. 

Dr. Fuller (B.) says of sanctification: ^'But 
we forget that salvation from the power and cor- 
ruption of sin, must be in the same wa}^ — that 
is by faith, the same as we are pardoned. '^ 

Again: '''After rededicating myself anew 
to God in company with others, I was in my 
room alone, pleading for the fullness of God's 
love, when all at once a sweet peace filled all the 
vacuum in my soul, leaving no unrest — no dis- 
satisfied feeling in my bosom," was A. B. EarPs 
(B.) experience. 

Hear St. Paul in 1st Thes., 5:23, '^4nd 
the very God of peace sanctif}^ you wholly^ — and 
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body 
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ.'' In 1st Thes., 4:3 we read: 
"'For this is the will of God — even vour sanctifi- 
cation." 

Our blessed Lord prayed for His disciples to 
be sanctified. Who is the man who would dare 



S4 HOLINESS". 



deny that it is a thing impossible for mortality 
to be sanctified mth the abo\^e testimony ? None 
but one so vile that he does not desire it. 

Brother, when this doctrine is preached and 
practiced by all God''s: people, there will be such a 
wave of glory roll over this sin-cursed world aK 
never before. Great revivals will follow. Right- 
eousness will fill the earth. Wars will cease. 
Sectarianism, with all its attendant evils, will 
fade away, Theocrasy will give place to one 
grand and glorious Theocracy. Amen [ for 
more faith on the pari; of the Lord's people — for 
more earnest praj^er that the primal but lost pu- 
rity of Eden may be ushered in upon us. This 
is the way in which it will come — (by the help 
of the Lord) — ^by the preaching and practice of 
Holiness — ^and not by denominational — strivings 
and contentions. Already the valleys are rising 
up and the mountains sinking down. Praise the 
Lord ! The millenial day is breaking. The 
night has been long and gloomy — ^but ^^the mor- 
ning cometh/' Amen. 



H-OLI^ESS. S5 



CHAPTER X. 



Sanctification, How Obtaikei>-. 

Much has been said and written about the 
vraj in which sanctification is obtained. Some 
believe it to be a gradual, while others say it is 
an instantaneous work. Some make it a separate 
and distinct work from regeneration, while some 
say sanctification is begun when regeneration is 
completed. 

Now, Brother, here is the most reasonable (as 
it is the best Bible-supported), position on this 
^subject. That we are sanctified when we are re- 
generated, for the word declares that, ''If any 
man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature. Old 
things have passed away, and, behold, all things 
are become new." 2 Cor., 5 : 17. 

NoAV, if "old things have passed away, and 
ALL things have become new,'' is there any part of 
the man to be renewed? Certainly not, 

. Furthermore, I believe some live the sancti- 
fied life from the time of their new creation to 
the time of their dissolution; these, though, are 
few comparatively. Now, ii we are sanctified in 
regeneration, one may ask, why do we sin af- 
ter regeneration? Well, a new born christian is 
compared to a "little child:'' a little child is weak, 
(as well as pure), and easily imposed on — especi- 



36 HOLINESS. 



ally by its friends. The novice in religion, like 
the little child, is easily imposed on by its friends 
— preachers (! !) They neither preach nor practice 
sanctification. But, on the other hand, deny 
that there is such a blessing or state, and even go 
so far as to denounce those that claim the blessing 
of sanctification. Is it at all strange that these 
little innocent children (christians), lapse back 
into a state of sin after such teachings and exam- 
ples as these? They l)egin in the flesh, and the 
flesh weak, will very reasonably lose the blessing 
under such teaching as this. Now, the arcana 
conforts us as to how the lost peace may be re- 
stored and the blessing once more obtained. 0, 
Brother, it cannot be obtained b}' giving bread to 
hungry men ; if so, a hungry man must starve 
without it. Nor by clothing the naked ; if so, the 
poor must die without it. How, then, can the 
blessing of sanctification be obtained ? I answer. 
By faith. See Act 26 : 18. " That they may re- 
ceive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among 
them that are sanctified by faith that is in me." 

We cannot enjo}^ the blessing until we have 
a desire to it and pray for it, believing that God 
is able and willing to save us from all sin — and 
are willing to give up everything of an earthly 
nature and to be anything that it is our dear 
Father's will that we be. 

My soul magnifies His holy name, for this 
sweet experience and peace — I believe our dear 



HOLINESS. '37 



Lord meant nothiag less addressing His disciples 
tnese words, '^Blessed are they that hunger and 
thirst after righteousness for thej shall be filled.'^ 

Ever}" true child of God has an appetite for 
sanetificatioii, worn out in these words, ''Oh., 
for a closer walk with God,'' Brother, pray for 
''Sanctification" at once. 

What was the vow of the Nazarite but sancti- 
fication? To sanctif}" means to set apart — to take 
the vow of the Nazarite was to be set apart from 
the world that the man might be more nearly 
united to God, 

To be sanctified is to live a life of purity and 
holiness, by faith, by trusting in the Savior to 
save and keep us from all sin every day and hour 
and moment, Adam in Eden had power to ab- 
stain from eating the forbidden fruit. We have 
power, by God's grace, to abstain from sin either 
in word, thought or deed. It is • only getting 
back into (Eden) our renewed state and living 
there by faith. 



38 HOLINESS, 



CHAPTER XI 



Examples of Sanctification. 

I herein desire to give a few examples of sanc- 
tified ones as found in the word: 

At the time Jacob went from Beersheba and 
went toward Haran and lighted on a centain 
place* and tarried there all nighty where he saw 
the wonderful vision of the ladder reaching from 
earth to heaven, and heard the Lord saying unto 
him that he would be with him and keep him in 
all places he went, and would prosper his way 
and bring him back again to that land. I say at 
that time we are compelled to believe that Jacob 
was a converted man, for he vowed a vow that he 
would give the tenth to God, and that the Lord 
should be his God if He would give him bread to 
eat and raiment to put on and cause him to come 
again to his father^s house in peace. About forty 
years afterward he comes back to Jabbok, a tribu- 
tary of the Jordan, on his way home Avith great 
passions. He sends all over the brook and is 
said to have been left alone, though he was not 
left alone, for 'Hhere v/restled a man with him 
until the breaking of the day." And the wrest- 
ler said to Jacob, ^^Let me go fur the day break- 
eth." And he said, I will not let thee go except 
thou bless me, and he blessed him there. Jacob, 
prior to this wrestling and blessing, seems to have 



HOLINESS. 39 



been afraid though God had been with him all 
the while and blessed him abmidantly. But 
now, after this grand blessing, when it seems all 
fear was destroyed and he made perfect in love, he 
goes at once over the brook to meet Esau, his 
brother. ^^The sun rose upon him" as he passed 
over. Blessed words : ^^The sun rose upon him" 
as he passed over. Brother, do pass over these 
rough rock of doubts, and over this brook of trans- 
gression and sins that flows like a stream into 
the land where many of our fathers have lived^ 
and the sun of righteousness will shine on 3^ou, 

Jacob certainly made a grand advance towards 
God here at Jabbok w^hen he received the blessing 
and had his name changed. 

We are certainly very safe in presuming that 
Isaiah was a converted man prior to his vision of 
God's glory, for it seems he had been a prophet 
for some time. However, it seems that this vis- 
ion revealed to himself his true condition. He 
saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lift- 
ed up, and heard the Seraphine crying each to 
other, ''Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the whole 
earth is full of his glory.'' After this, it was, he 
cried out in the bitterness of his soul, ^'Woe is 
me, for I am undone — for I am a man of unclean 
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of un- 
clean lips." Isaiah knew his condition, that he 
was ''undone" on account of sin. The Seraphine 
knew his condition after he had touched his lips 



40 KaLixEs^. 



(will any deny it?) with the live cn)al — hear it., 
''Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin is*- 
purged.'' Praise the Lord. Here he is a perfect 
man, anian wdthont sin and ready to go. Hear 
him after his cleansing. "Here am I, send me."" 
Oh! for men — -more men — -men like Isaiah purged 
with fire from off heaven's altar, Wjio are ready 
to go, and go at any time, and go to any place, 
Sanctification ah)ne will c|ualify us for the work. 

Dear Brother, contemplate God's lioliiiess and 
the hurning ones who stand round the throne — 
lifted up on high, that you may realize your own 
true condition and he purged from all your sin. 
.See Is., 6 ch. 

Again we read in Zechariah, 3rd ch: "Now 
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and 
sdood before the Lord/^ "Satan was standing at 
his right hand to resist him." "And the Lord 
said unto Satan: The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, 
even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke 
thee.. Is not this a brand plucked out of the 
fire?'^ 

Here Joshua is said to be clothed with filthy 
garments (wdiich filth}" garments represent sin 
as we will see in the sequel,) but, nevertheless, 
"the Lord pronounces him a brand plucked out 
of the fire." Verse 4. "And he ansAvered and spake 
unto those that stood before him, saying: "Take 
away the filthy garments from him." And unto 



HOLINESS. 41 



him he said: Behold, I have caused thine ini- 
quity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee 
with change of raiment." Certainly Joshua was 
a regenerated man — as he was a brand plucked 
from the tire — but still he had on filthy garments 
(sin) but these, at the Lord's command, were 
taken away, and he clothed with change of rai- 
ment, with a fair miter on his head. ^^These are 
they who have washed their robes and made them 
WHITE in the blood of the Lamb." 

Enoch is another example of sanctification. 
The account is that he walked with God for three 
hundred years and was not, for God took him, 
Enoch was certainly sinless, and sinless all the 
time he walked with God, else he could not have 
walked with Him, nor could he have entered 
heaven with any or the least degree of sin. Some 
are of the opinion that if a mortal man were to 
become holy it would kill him outright. 

I have heard people reason so. This is the 
doctrine of the devil to hold men in the fetters of 
sin. Enoch lived it three hundred years — and 
there is no danger. Brother, of Holiness killing 
you. We read of many men and women being 
killed by the Almighty — in floods — in flames — 
by famines — by serpents — by the earth opening 
its mouth and swallowing up the people, and by 
the plague — all on account of their sins and be- 
cause they were sinners; — but never of one whom 
God has slain for being a holy man. Men in the 



42 KOU^E&^. 



name of God and of religion f I f have put to 
death God^s Holy ones mid n}ade the earth drun- 
ken with their gore- — and from the blood of Abel 
to this good day the blood of the saints is crying 
to God for vengeance. Rejoice, Brother, that we 
are acconnted worthy to snffer for His sake. 

Elijah was another example of sanctifi ca- 
tion — he was holy, sonl and body for nothing 
impure can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Job was another '^Perfect and upright man,^^ 
''fearing God and eschewing evil.'^ Notwith- 
standing his downfall, " In all this Job sinned 
not, nor charged God foolishly. ^^ — Job, 1 : 22. 
Even after his sore afflictions came upon him, it 
is positively declared, '^ In all this did not Job 
?!in with his lips.^' — ^Job, 2: 10. 

With delight, Brother, I refer you to that 
wonderful man of Jerusalem, who was supposed 
to have been the president of the Sanhedrim ^ 
*'Simeon^^ by name. ''Just and devout, waiting 
for the consolation of Israel, with the Holy Ghost 
upon him,^^ I verily believe, sir, that he was a 
sanctified man — ^for when he had taken the 
infant Jesus up in his arms and blessed God he 
said: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant 
DEPART in PEACE.'' David said, "Mark the 
PERFECT man and behold the upright, for 
the end of that man is ' peace.' " From hence 
may I not reasonably [conclude that Simeon was 
a perfect or sanctified man ? 



HOLINESS. 4 



<> 



a 



And there was Anna a prophetess," (0 bles- 
sed woman!) ^ ^serving God with fastings and 
prayers night and day, departing not from the 
temple." Who would dare deny that she was 
sanctified or holj^, as she w^as serving God ''night 
and day in the temple?" 

''And they chose Stephen, a man full of 
faith and the Holj^ Ghost" — Acts, 6 : 5. See, 
will you, how he is distinguished from the rest 
chosen — "full of faith and of the Holy Ghost," 
which is not said of the others. Did he not 
breathe the spirit and prayer of his Lord when, 
dying, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, lay 
not this sin to their charge?" Who would say 
this man was not, dying, as he had been living, 
a holy or sanctified man ? 

"There was Cornelius— a devout man — one 
that feared God wdth all his house and gave 
much alms to the people and prayed to God 
always." See Acts, 10:1, With all this, it 
seems that that man needed something, for Peter 
w^as sent to him to Caesarea, and when he had 
spoken to him the Holy Ghost was poured out 
upon them. Now was Cornelius a converted 
man or not prior to the coming of Peter ? I am 
of the opinion that he was, saa " devout " man 
means a man that w^orships the true God and is 
no idolator. Furthermore, it is said, he "feared 
God with all his house" and that he "gave 
much alms to the people" — and that he "prayed 



44 HOLINESS." 



to God always. '^ Now can a man be this kind of 
a man and not be in a saved condition ? You 
decide, Brother. I think not. Then it seems 
that when the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius he 
was sanctified. What more reasonable construc- 
tion can be placed on this passage ? 

Our Lord commanded the disciples to tarry 
at Jerusalem until they were endued with power 
from on high. It seems they were not fully pre- 
pared for the great work before them. In His 
prayer to the Father, Jesus had prayed that the 
disciples might be sanctified. And they stayed 
in Jerusalem until the promise was fulfilled — the 
Holy Ghost was poured on them. We read 
of Peter's denying his Lord no more, but Peter 
and the rest of the disciples go boldly on to the 
work until it brings them to death and to Glory. 
'' Perfect love," which is another name for sanc- 
tification, ''casteth out fear. '' The disciples 
were now made perfect in love. for preachers 
sanctified or made perfect in love to use the 
scourge on those traders, whoremongers, drunk- 
ards, liars and common swearers that have turned 
the Temple into a den of thieves. Some time 
since I heard a man preach over an hour. One 
of the great sins he was condeming was the 
violation of the Sunday — and amazement. Bro- 
ther ! ! ! at the end of the sermon (for it was 
Sunday night) he offered books for sale ! ! ! books 
of his own writing. He had about a much 



HOLINESS, 45 



right in the eyes of God ana man to sell 
boots he had made as to sell books he had made 
if the Lord's Day be holy. 



46 HOLiNi:s=s. 



CHAPTER XII, 



ScRiPTUKEs Seemingly Contradictoky to 
Sanctificatiok , 

In this chapter I will notice some Scripture 
that seems to contradict the doctrine of Holiness. 
In 1st John, 1 : 8, we read: ^'If we say that we 
have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth 
is not in ns/* Strange how many there be who 
use this passage as a covering to their sins — peo- 
ple, too, who pretend to be Christians. I see 
nothing against christian perfection in this pas- 
sage — for there is not a man on earth in his 
imregenerated state that can say, I have no sin^ 
for all have sinned and ^'come short of the 
glory of God," Hence none can say, I have no 
isin. Strange that people are so well acquainted 
with the 8th verse in this chapter and know so 
little about the 9th verse — ^the very next one, 
Brother. Hear it: '^Ifwe confess our sins. He 
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and i^o 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.^^ Now just 
confess your sins and be cleansed from all 

rNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Bildad, like many others, asks a question, 
Job, 25 : 4: ' 'How then can man be justified 
with God? or how can he be clean that is born 
of a woman ?'^ Because Bildad has asked this 



HOLINESS, 47 



question, saying more, that ^'the stars are not 
pure in his sight," (Bildad merely asks the ques- 
tion, but does not answer it,) must we fall into 
believing that a man cannot be just? Certainly 
not. Hear what St, Paul says: ^^ Therefore being- 
justified by faith, we have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ," Here is the way: By 
faith we are justified. We can and must be 
justified — and just, too, if ever we see God in 
peace. 

But another says Solomon said, '^Who can 
say I have made my heart clean. I am pure from 
my sin." Prov,, 20: 9, Here Solomon asks the 
question but does not answer it. The idea con« 
veyed is that not one can say I have done this — 
^^MADE MY HEART CLEAN," The Icopard could 
as soon change his spot, or an Ethiopian his color, 
as a sinner to cleanse his heart: what then can 
cleanse our hearts and make us pure from our 
sin? Hear the answer, ^'The blood oi Jesus 
Christ, His son, cleanseth us from all sin." 
See 1st John, 1 : 7. There is the way, Brother, 
O, be washed in the blood. King David said in 
the 51st Psalm and 7th verse, ^Turge me with 
hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall 
be whiter than snow." In verse 10 we read, (51 
Psalm), Create in me a clean heart, God, 
and renew a right spirit within me." Here the 
King prays for a clean heart and a right spirit; 
certainly such a thing is possible or the man 



48 HOLINESS. 



would not have prayed so. 

My dear Brother, while you read this do pray 
for a ''clean heart' ^ and for a ''right spirit," and 
pray in faith, trusting in Jesus, and He will give 
it you. 

James says, chap. 3:2: "For in many 
things we offend all.'' Must we infer from this 
that James offended all in many things? Cer- 
tainly not so, If we must because he uses the 
pronoun we, then his tongue was a world of in- 
iquity, for he says, "So is the tongue among our 
members. '^ He includes himself here for he says 
"our members." James might very reasonably 
say, "our members" and not include himself, as 
this is a common mode of expression. He might 
have spoken thus and then have been a perfect 
man. As one has well remarked, we might, on 
the same h3^pothesis, make James out a horse 
breaker, for he says, "We put bits in the horses' 
mouths that they may obey us." 

In Matt., 10:17, our Lord said to the young 
man, "There is none good but one, that is God.'' 
Many go to this text to prove up their position. 
But, Brother, this passage taken literally seems 
to prove a little too much to agree witn the gen- 
eral tenor of scripture, for the Savior includes 
himself when He says none is good, or rather He 
excludes himself. Now, we know He hd.d no sin, 
for He is declared to be "Holy, harmless, separate 
from sinners and made higher than the heavens." 



HOLINESS . 49 



It seems that a r^asonble solution of this passage 
is this, that none is good as God is good, but good 
as his children. 

Our dear Lord said, ^'Blessed are they that 
hungry and thirst after righteousness for they 
shall be filled." Let a man now make that state- 
ment and the church is ready to throw him over- 
board as they did Jonah. But, praise the Lord, 
Jonah was better off in the whale's belly than he 
was in the ship. 

The book tells us to present our bodies a liv- 
ing sacrifice holy, acceptable to the Lord, which 
is our reasonable service. But now let a man de- 
clare that he has given his body a living sacrifice 
holy to God, and the church is ready to stone 
him and to cast him out of the synagogue and to 
say all manner of evil against him . Praise the 
Lord. In these things we can rejoice and be ex- 
ceedingly glad, knowing that all who would live 
Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. 



OO . HOLINEI^S. 



CHAPTER XIII 



Testifying, 

**And they overcame him by the blood of 
the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and 
they loved not their lives unto death/' Rev.^ 
12:11, 

One grand means of retaining the blessing of 
:??anctification^ I believe, is this: To faithfully 
confess what God has wroughi, in us by His holy 
spirit. ThiSy it is true^ may be quite a task for a 
while, but look to Jesus and His grace will be 
your supply, I have had just such experience. 
In a church (solitary and alone) of about one 
hundred members I testify to full salvation, a 
present and perfect Savior, and of sweet rest that 
I have found in Jesus. And let me tell you, 
my Brother, that peace comes like a flood to my 
poor soul while I thus testify in the midst of 
i^corns and scoifs. It seems that God so gracious- 
ly blesses my poor soul while thus telling of his 
goodness — ^that the spirit burns like fire in stub- 
ble. Praise the Lord. He has promised a bless- 
ing that there should not be room enough to con- 
tain it. The extra fire is not lost. If it does run 
over it will fall into the hearts of the Brethren. 
^'The fragments will not be lost." 

Peter admonishes his brethren to sanctify 



HOLINESS. 51 



the Lord God in their hearts, ^^and be ready al- 
ways to give an answer to every man that asketh 
you a reason for the hope that is in you, with 
meekness and fear." 1st Pet., 3 : 15. Some are 
ashamed ! ! ^'Whosoever shall be ashamed of me 
and my words of him will I be ashamed," says 
our Lord. The testimony oi the Lord put John 
on Patmos and took the heads off of others, but 
their souls were found beneath the altar every 
one with white robes. Jesus said to the man out 
of whom he cast the legion of devils, ^^Go home 
to thy friends and tell them what great things 
the Lord hath done for thee." Mark 5 : 19. 

In Acts 1 : 8, we read, ^^ Ye shall be witness 
ses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, 
and in Samaria, and unto the utmost parts of the 
earth." 

David said come and hear, all ye that fear 
God, and I declare what he hath done for my 
soul." Psalm 66: 16. 

Paul's admonition is, '^Let us hold fast the 
profession of our faith without wavering." Heb. 
10 : 23. While this profession should be done in 
much boldness, yet it should be in the spirit of 
Jesus, and in much meekness. ^^Be ye wise as 
serpents and harmless as doves." The sanctified 
character is here very powerfully illustrated by 
the sublety of the serpent and the harmlessness 
ofthedave. The serpent is said to be the most 
subtle of any beast of the field, while the dove is 



52 HOLINESS. 



innocent to a degree approaching stupidity. 
When our Lord '^answered nothing^' in his trial 
Pilot marvelled. He did not so much as make 
his defense^ as Paul in after time did. Brother, 
the Lord is our defense. The air is full of angels 
if we could only see them. There are fiery 
horses and chariots of fire all around us. 

If you obtain the blessing of sanctilication 
let the church and world know it though they 
cast you out of the synagogue. The thunders of 
excommunication may terrify you to a degree, 
but this is nothing compared with the seven 
thunders' of the wrath of Almighty God. There- 
fore let the word of your testimony be heard. 

"I'll tell to every saint I meet- 
To sinners high and low- 
That trusting in the Saviors' s blood. 
It washes white as snow," 



HOLINESS. 53 



CHAPTER XIV, 



Faith Healing. 

I have often thought, why has the church 
ceased to exercise the power healing once given 
it by its great Head ? 

In all ages the Lord's people have had a 
power, which the world has not had, that of 
healing. Perhaps at no epoch of the world's 
history was this power of curing the sick so neg- 
lected and disregarded as now. Why this great 
apostasy? for the Lord's people have apostatized 
in this way. See what follows: ^^And the 
king answered and said unto the man of God: 
Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God and 
pray for me that my hand may be restored me 
again. And the man of God besought the Lord 
and the king's hand was restorea him again, and 
it became as it was before." — 1 Kings, 13 : 6. 

^^And it came to pass, when they were come 
into Samaria, that Elisha said. Lord, open the 
ey^s of these men that they may see. And the 
Lord opened their eyes and they saw." — 2 Kings, 
6:20. 

^^Turn again and tell Hezekiah, thd captain 
of my people, thus saith the Lord, the God of 
David, thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I 
have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee — on 



54 HOLINES*^, 



the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of 
the Lord/'— 2 Kings, 20 : 5, 

The above passages are all taken from the 
Old Testament, which amply prove that the 
Lord's people possessed this power then. These 
are enough to con\dnee any one, to say nothing 
©f the common work of healing the leper (the 
most incurable of all diseases) without the use of 
medicine. 

When our Lord commissioned His disciples 
He gave them power over devils to cast them out 
^— and power to cure all manner of diseases 
among the people — and when they failed on one 
occasion to cast out a devil, He at once ascribed 
it to lack of faith, saying, '^O ye of little faith. '^ 

That the disciples did cure diseases none 
will dare deny, I need not give one instance, as 
the New Testament abounds with cases of this 
kind both before and after Pentecost, 

St. Paul declares that ^/The manifestation 
of the spirit is given to every man to profit with- 
al." He says, ''For to one is given by the 
Spirit the word of wisdom — ^to another the word 
of knowledge^by the same Spirit. 

To another faith— by the same Spirit — to 
another the gifts of healing— by the same Spirit. 

To another the Avorking of miracles — to 
another prophecy — ^to another discerning of spir- 
its — to another divers kinds of tongues — to ano- 



HOLINESS, 55 



ther the interpretation of tongues. — 1 Cor,, 12 c, 
8-9-19, 

From the above we learn that all have not 
the same gifts. Some are gifted in one way 
while some are gifted in another. Some prophesy. 
Some interpret. Some have the gift of knowl- 
edge. While some have the gift of healino. 

Why has this precious jewel of the Bride^s 
paraphernalia been so neglected and become so 
rare? Can it be that God has changed 11!? Cer- 
tainly not so. But because of unbelief, sin and 
hardness of heart — but for the lack of Holiness 
preached and practiced. 

But, says one, 0, this power of healing the 
sick was confined to the Apostles, and we have 
no such power now. Can there be a christian 
man or woman in all the length and breadth of 
this land that would not pray for their frfend if 
very sick? Certainly not. Then, Brother, you 
pray for something you don't believe, if you 
deny faith healing. 

Some, thou^h^ insist that this power was 
only given to the disciples. What did our Lord 
say concerning this?— ^' These signs shall follow 
them that believe. In my name shall they cast 
out devils— they shall speak with new tongues." 

They shall take up serpents, and if they 
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. 

They shall lay hands on the sick and they 
shall recover."— Mark, 16, 17 : 18. 



56 HOLINESS. 



Here our Lord declares that these signs shall 
FOLLOW THEM that belJeve. Not may, or can, 
but SHALL foUoAv. 

Now did these signs follow, and are they 
following, the true believers ? Yes, we know 
these signs did follow as long as the Apostles 
lived and wrote — and even to this good day, 
Brother, there are some who believe and practice 
this same grand Bible doctrine, 

For more than two hundred years after the 
death of Christ every historian knows that the 
church practiced what is commonly called the 
working of miracles. 

Tertullian challenged any of the christian's 
heathen enemies to bring him a demoniac, enga- 
ging, at the hazard of his life, to oblige the evil 
spirit to depart in His name — and by the author- 
ity of Christ. — Tertullian's Apology, chap. 22. 

^^It is further known,'' (says Dodridge) ^^that 
those who were agitated by such spirits stood 
terrified and amazed in the presence of chris- 
tians.'' Furthermore, there are many living 
witnesses in the world to-day who could if called 
on bear testimonv to this precious Bible truth 
and doctrine. 



HOLINESS. 57 



CHAPTER XV 



Commands to Pray for the Sick and 
Examples of the Same. 

Hezekiah prayed and the Lord heard his 
prayer and healed him, adding fifteen years to 
his life. 

James says: ^^ Is any among you afflicted? 
let him pray." 

Is any sick among you ? let him call for the 
elders of the church, and let them pray over 
him, anoniting him with oil in the name of the 
Lord. 

'^ And the pray of faith shall save the sick, 
and the Lord shall raise him up." 

Confess your faults one to another, and pray 
one for another, that ye may be healed. — James 
5, 13 to 16. 

The Jews taught that the reason the leper 
was commanded to cry aloud, ^^ Unclean ! — un- 
clean ! ! " was that the people thereby might 
know of his calamity and offer prayers in his 
behalf. 

Our Lord taught that 'Svhatsoever ye desire 
when ye pray believe that ye have it and ye shall 
have it." 

Why, Brother, is it not reasonable to pray 
for the body to be restored as it is for the soul to 
be saved? Certainly it is. 



i38 HOLINESS. 



Brother, is not our Lord as able to cure a 
pain as he is to blot out a sin? He certainly is. 

Men pray for rain. Men pray for peace in 
time of war. Men pray for grace to support 
them in time of trouble and distress. Men pray 
for men in their sins. Men pray for men in 
|)rison. Men pray for men on the sea. 

And Avhy, I ask, shall not men pray for the 
sick ? And why should they pray for the sick 
unless they l)elieve ? and if they pray and believe 
not, it is sin, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 

And if they pray in faith for the sick, w?iy 
may they not have their request granted? There 
is no reason whv thev may not. 



HOLINESS, 59 



CHAPTER XVI, 



Baptists, of all People, Should Teach the 
Doctrine of Sanctification. 

All the prominent tenets of the Baptist 
church converge like the rays of the sun to one 
grand center^ which is Holiness. 

Take Baptism, In that act is declared, be- 
ssides the death, burial and resvirrection of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, that we are dead to siu^ 
and so dead that we are buried — covered entirely 
up. When we bury a man he walks no more in 
this world Can any act or type be stronger or 
more declarative than is Baptism in this matter ? 
Not only are we buried to show our entire death 
to sin, but we are raised up from the dead as it 
were. We are resurrected, to ^Svalk in newness 
of life" — to walk and talk, and live as a new 
being. Baptists make ( and scripturally, too, ) a 
profession of holiness in the act of baptism, 
though they may deny it in their lives and teach- 
ings. 

The Lord's supper is aholy supper — -none be- 
ing admitted but the circumcised, or baptised. 
Those who have declared to the world and devils 
that they are dead to sin and that they have 
been resurrected to a new life, and for this cause 
are worthy to eat the flesh and drink the blood 



60 HOLINESS. 



of their blessed Saviour, declaratively, since they 
are feeding on Him by faith. 

The very foundation of perseverance is holi- 
ness. If a man can persevere to the end in sin 
and be saved, then all men maybe saved! ! Their 
declarations of faith teaches sanctitication. Spur- 
geon talks it to the Londonians. Many in these 
United States are teaching it, from Philadelphia 
down to the people in the backwoods and high 
timber. They sing it in their songs and pray it 
in their prayers, and read it in their Bibles ! ! 
Holiness, Sampson-like, has been sleeping on the 
lap of the fair Delilah, the church. Like a tied 
Samson struggling for freedom, Holiness, ere 
long will rise, breaking the green withs of sin 
as tow thread is broken when it touches the fire, 
and fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. 

So strange, Brother, that some Baptists object 
to the doctrine of sanctification wdth all these 
things before them ! ! ! The word is come to pass. 
The time is at hand. ^^ They will not endure 
sound doctrine >l^ ^ >K but have turned away 
their ears from the truth.'' 

I have thought that if I believe as some 
Baptists do that we are only partially saved, in 
this life from sin — (we certainly admit this doc- 
trine when we aeny the doctrine of sanctification) 
that we do wrong to testify to full salvation in the 
act of baptism. Now, if we verily believe as we 
declare we do in baptism that we rise up to a 



HOLINESS 61 



newness of life ? How long, pray tell, is this 
state retained? You, perhaps, are ready to an- 
swer, until we sin. Well, dear Brother, can't the 
power that renewed us take that ugly spot from 
the soul, and make us as pure as at regeneration. 
Amen. How plain it is; none need stumble here. 
Why, our dear Lord taught the disciples to pray 
^'Thy will be done on earth as it is done in 
HEAVEN. Do you not believe this is possible? 
It certainly is possible for His will to be done on 
earth as angels do it in heaven, or our Lord 
would not have commanded the disciples to have 
prayed so. 

In John 17, 15, our Lord prayed that the 
disciples might be kept '^from the evil.'" Now, 
if it be impossible to be kept from the evil, as 
some seem to teach, would our Lord have prayed 
so ? Certainly not. 



62 HOLINESS, 



CHAPTER XVII. 



The Mixed Creature. 

Of all the strange things of modern times it 
seems to me that the strangest is the modern 
christian, as some have him. He is a saint and 
he is not a saint ! ! He is a child of God but is 
serving the devil ! ! He swings like a pendukim 
between heaven and hell, and vibrates between 
hope and despair. One day he is on the mount of 
transfiguration and the next in the valley of dry 
bones ! ! ! He is a tree bearing good and evil fruit. 
A fountain sending forth sweet water and bitter. 
He is the servant of tAvo masters! ! He is a thorn 
tree with grapes and a fig tree with thistles. He 
is certainly the nearest something to be nothing 
and the nearest nothing to be something in all 
earth's zoology. He seems to be the nearest we 
can come to him, a ^' connecting link, '' not be- 
tween the human and brute, but between the 
child of grace and glory and the child of wrath 
and ruin. He seems to be as the people were on 
Carmel, ' 'halting between two opinions " ! ! Na- 
ture has no such species ; and why should grace 
have? The mermaid is a creature of fancy. 

He is urged by his brethren to go on to per- 
lection or holiness, but at the same time these 
same brethren declare that there is no such place 



HOLINESS. 63 



this side of death, and are ready to excommuni- 
cate and brand as a heretic the poor soul that gets 
there ! ! ! 0, consistency! ! ! What a jewel thou 
art. There is not an evangelical church in the 
land but requires perfect obedience to the law of 
her members. In church discipline every church 
requires holiness, though they deny it in their 
preaching. 

Now, is this strange prodigy of a christian 
what our Lord would have him be ? Must we go 
through this life but half or partially saved? 0, 
is it really our lot to be tormented all our life 
time with gloomy doubts and fears regarding our 
salvation, or our Lord's goodness ? Where is the 
child that doubts its father's goodness or his son 
ship? I ask again, are we bound and compelled 
one day to curse God with the same tongue with 
which we blessed Him the day before ? To all 
these questions answer no! 

'^These things ought not so to be." We 
should live in a path the light of which increases 
more and more unto the perfect day, where the 
Sun of Righteousness shines brighter every day 
and without a cloud. 

It is God's will that we live in a state where 
imaginations, thoughts, and things that are high 
and exalt themselves against him, shall be ^^cast 
down." 

It is His will that ^Sve rejoice evermore." 

Woe to these people that talk so much about 



64 HOLINESS 



not being able to control their thoughts ! ! ! Re- 
member, '^Charity thinketh no evil," which is 
but another name for holiness. O, Brother, '^ fly 
high;" get up above the clouds of doubts and 
fears and be something, and no longer an uncer- 
tainty, and let that being be a christian so that 
you may know yourself. 



HOLINESS. 65 



CHAPTER XVIII, 



Why we Sin After Coiiversion, 

That we sin after conversion is evident. (Not 
that all sin, for there are some, I verily believe, 
who are Nazarites from the time of their new 
birth until they are taken home to heaven — 
men so dead to sin that sin hath not dominion 
over them — sanctified and made meet for the 
abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.) However, 
a much greater number sin. Why? Well, you 
see, Brother, the newly converted or regenerated 
man is like a 'kittle child," How, you may ask, 
is a ^aittle child?" The little child, in the first 
place, is pure — saving his innate depravity for 
which he is no more accountable than he is for 
Adam's transgression. Most all agree that all 
who die in infancy are saved, and for this cause 
I am of opinion that in conversion we are sancti- 
fied, for the converted are like ^Uittle children," 
Again, the little child is ready to believe what is 
taught it, so with the new convert, it is ready to 
believe what is taught it. If the church, in any 
wa}^, teaches its members that they cannot live 
in this world without sinning, they are ready to 
believe it, and the result is a bad one. They do, 
and reasonably too, lapse back into a sinning 
state ! ! At whose door this sin will lay the Lord 
only knoweth, Brother, but at some door it must 



()6 HOLTXPJSS, 



lay. Woe to such watchmen that teach that 
right is wrong and that wrong is right, and that 
we must be in bondage all our days to the enemy 
of our souls, when it is a fact — Holy truth, that 
'•whosoever the Son maketh free is free indeed/'^ 
These preachers (I !) that denoimces the doctrine 
of sanctification being possible deny, so far, the 
teachhigs of God's word, and remind me of the 
watchmen described by Isaiah 56, 10 : 11 : ''Her 
watchmen are all ignorant; they are all dumb 
dogs. ^^ ^ ^ sleeping ^^ -^ ^ They ^re 
gi'eedy dogs that can never have enough ! ! !" Look 
here, preacher, and see for yourself! ! 

Now, dear Brother, here^s one thing. Re- 
formed drunkards b}^ hundreds live and died 
who reformed without making religious profes- 
sions. Common swearers and whoremongers 
have quit this part of the old serpent's work with- 
out making public profession. 

Now, Avou't ''religion" — the Holy Ghost — 
the spirit of burning — the presence of the Father 
and the Son — in a mortal man do, as much for 
him as he can do and has often done without it? 
Certainlv, and a thousand times more. 



When the physiognomist had pronounced 
Socrates one of the most libinous, gluttonous, 
characters he had ever met, his reply was that he 
had been such but had overcome his nature by 
his philosophy. This proves that a heathen man 



HOLINESS. 67 



can do more with himself than some teach we 
can do with God to help us ! ! Woe to the w^orld 
because of offences ! 

Our great Master said to the woman taken in 
adultery, ^'go and sin no more.'^ If an adulter- 
er can cease from this sin so as to ^'sin no more,'' 
and we know he can, why not all kinds of sins 
be likewise forsaken? 

Again, There is a disposition in the regener- 
ate at times to sin but this disposition is no part 
of the renewed nature — is no part of the renewed 
man either material or spiritual, for ''he is a new 
creature ; old things are passed away and all 
things are become new." The regenerated are 
as Adam was in Eden. ''In the image and like- 
ness of God,'' good and very good. And as they 
are like little children in weakness the evil one 
comes upon them and often overcomes them, (not 
always). Hence you see clearly, Brother, that 
the evil that God's children do is the effect of an 
outward cause which is the devil. And if he gets 
us into trouble at all it will be through his subt^ 
lety, and by deception, for none of the holy ones 
sin knowingl}^ or willingl3^ Never. 

Another reason why we sin after conversion, 
or rather why satan gets the advantage, is, we are 
not so watchful and prayerful as we should be, 
O! Brother, while we watch and pray we are safe. 

But know this, that ii the good man of the 
house had known in what watch the thief would 



68 HOLINESS. 



come he would have watched and would not have 
suffered his house to be broken up." Matt., 24, 
43. '^ watch and pray lest ye enter mto tempta- 
tion." This is the way to keep out, by watch- 
ing and praying. 



HOLINESS. 69 



CHAPTER XIX 



St. Paul's Experience. 

The 7th and 8th chapters of Paul to the 
Romans have been hard for me to reconcile, they 
seem so contradictory. In the 7th chapter he 
says: ^'I am carnal, sold under sin." '^For 
that which I do I allow not for what I would 
that do I not, but what I hate that do I. ^ ^ ^ 
I find then a law that when I would do good evil 
is present with me." 

'Tor I delight in the law of God after the 
inward man. But I see another law in my mem- 
bers warring against the law of my mind and 
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin 
which is in my members." Finally he concludes 
by crying out, ^'0, wretched man that I am ! " 

When we begin to preach holiness to the 
people, it is wonderful how many can remember 
these words of /iPaul" and run to this chapter 
of Romans for an excuse for their sins — and for 
living in sin. Why, my dear Brother, they seem 
to have entirely overlooked the 8th chapter — the 
next one — where the same writer says: ^ 'There 
is, therefore, now, no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the 
flesh but after the Spirit" — for the law of the 
spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free 



TO HOLINES-B", 



from the law of sin and death." Notice, the man 
in the 7th chaper was ^^sold under sin," while 
the one in the 8th is '^free," Nor is there any 
condemnation against this man in the 8th chap, 
who walks not after the flesh, but after the spirit. 
Sail further, in the 8th chapter^ w^e ready "And 
if Christ be in you the body is dead because of 
g^in, but the spirit is life because of righteousness.'^ 
But we are told, Avith all this, that we must and 
are bound to serve the devil all our days — with 
our flesh! [ Finally he concludes this chapter with 
these words, "Who shall lay anything to the 
charge of God^s elect ? — it is God that justifieth," 
God has an elect on earth — yet. 

Now, dear Brother, the best construction T 
can place on these seeming contradictory chap- 
ters is this : In the 7th chapter he tells the state 
of the man not made perfect in love, or sancti- 
fied — (the state of "perfect love'^ and sanctifica- 
tion I understand as the same) ; — while in the 
8th chapter he show^s the man's condition after 
he has ceased to be lead by the flesh, but is led by 
the spirit of God, beside the still waters of salva- 
tion, where he can lie down in the green pastures 
of God's love. These two chapters taken so, and 
so understood, appear clearer to me than ever 
before. In fact I know of no other reasonable 
construction to place upon them. 

Paul prayed that the Ephesians might "be 
able to comprehend wdth all saints what is the 



HOLINESS, 71 



broaclth and length and depth and height ^ ^ ^-^ 
and that they might be filled with all the fullness 
of God/'— Eph,;, 3, 18 : 18. What more is intended 
or expressed in that wonderful prayer of the 
great Apostle^ than sanctification ? Can sin re- 
main where one is filled with all the fullness of 
God? Certainly not. Should we not daily pray, 
for this blessing ? 

Our Lord said, ^^'The kingdom of heaven is 
in you." While thus filled with God the diff*er- 
ence between here and yonder is: Here the king- 
dom of heaven is in us ! And yonder we will be 
in the Kingdom of heaven ! Glory, for the Lord 
God omnipotent reigneth. Make us glad all 
our days."' Amen and Amen, 

In the 7th and 8th chapters treated on above 
the Apostle may have direct reference to himself 
as some interpret. If so, we see, very plainly, a 
vast difference in his life, if we compare him in 
his gloriously liberated state, to the time when 
he was ^'carnal sold under sin" — -and walking af- 
ter the flesh, or if intended for all men we see 
the same difference — a state of '''bondage," and of 
^ ^glorious liberty." 0, Brother, pray to the Son 
to make j^ou ^^free indeed/^ 



72 HOLINESS, 



CHAPTER XX 



Debates, 

There is one evil I have seen the effects of, 
and verily believe that it, like the upas tree, 
poison many leagues around — that is, religious 
discussion, so called ! But there is little or no 
religion about it. It is making a foot-ball of 
religion to please the multitude — to tickle the 
crowd. Brother, if you are praying for holiness, 
and I believe all of God's children are, avoid these 
one-horse religious ( ! ) debates in these school 
houses and little towns, for they engender strife. 
They thrive best in the -high timbered regions 
and are generally engaged in and sought after by 
men of small caliber religiously, and hardly ever 
fail to bring forth their fruit, strife and division. 
Our Lord prayed that all that believed on Him 
should be one. These debates but deepen and 
widen the fissures formed by the eruptions of the 
'^dark ages'' which the sediments of holiness 
are fast filling up. Ye champions of Israel ! re- 
member Korah and his company — the earth 
opened her mouth and swallowed them up — be 
careful and prayerful — ere you fall into one of 
these fast-returning fissures and are ground to 
powder. 

Where is the command for these debates ? I 



HOLINESS. 73 



eannot find it in the Word. The good Nehemiah 
had an opportunity to ■ 'reason'' with his enemies. 
But his reply to them was that he was doing a 
great work and had no time to go down to them* 
The word debate only appears five times in 
the Word, either in a singular or plural form, 
and nowhere are we commanded to indulge in 
such. But on the other hand, we read as follows 
in Isaiah, 58, 4: "Behold ye fast for strife and 
debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness 
^ ^ '^ to make your voice to be heard on high ! ! " 
Strife and debate go link and link like parts 
of a great chain. Look now into the New Testa- 
ment and see ''debates'^ in the very worst of 
compan3^ In Rom. 1, 29, we read: '* Being 
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wick- 
edness, covetousness, maliousness, full of envy, 
murder, 'debate,' deceit, malignity, whisper- 
ers ! ! ! Here it is in the midst of all its concom- 
itant evils. See again 2nd Cor., 12, 20: ''For I 
fear lest when I come I shall not find you such 
as I would, and that I shall be found unto you 
such as ye would not, lest there be 'debates,' 
envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisper- 
ings, swellings, tumults." Here, Brother, is the 
last time "debates" appears in the New Testa- 
ment, and in the same old depraved company. 
And to-day when found in the name and livery 
of heaven though it be ! ! he has the same dark 
demons marching before him and behind him. 



74 HOLINESS-, 



Our Lord said: ''Let your canimimicatioiji 
he yea, yea, and nay, nay, for Avh at soever is more 
than these conieth of evil/' — Mat., 5, 37. When 
they were trying our Lord bef(.)re Pilate "He 
answered nathing"' insomuch that Pilate mar- 
veled. 

Tlie last bequest of Jesns to His disciples 
was Peace — -"Peace I leave with you, my peace I 
give unto you.''' One has e^aid it was his best and 
dying gift. It was a part of the song the angels 
,^ung over the "new born babe'' of Beth 1 eh em. 
*' Peace an earth." 

In Titus, 3, 9, we read: But avoid foolish 
questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and 
strivings about the lav\% for they are mi profitable 
and vain." 

Here St. Paul says that "strivings about the 
law are unprofitable and vain;" but some of our 
modern "Drs," (! f) think there is great profit in 
j^uch things ! There may be, and no doubt is, 
much profit, in a way, to these modern "defend- 
ers of the faith ! ! " But I have ever failed to 
see the good accruing to an}^ church by such 
"striving" and "contentions^' about the law. 
The less we have of these things, Brother, the 
holier and happier we will be. 



HOLIXESS, 75 



CHAPTER XXI 



The Witness of Sakotificatiok. 

One might ask. How may I know if I am 
in the sanctiiied state for if there be such a stat€ 
attainable there must be some way how I may 
know it? Now, this is a reasonable question, 
and I answer in part hj asking you one, Brother. 
How do you know that you are in the renewed 
=state ? You perhaps are ready to answer that 
you have ^ 'peace wi:h God, '' for ^'heing justified 
by faith we have peace with God." This is cer- 
tainly right. Furthermore, between the tw-o 
states I understand this to be the difference ; The 
unsanctified have love to God but it is not per- 
fect love for they have fear, while '^ perfect love 
casteth out fear." The sanctified are not afraid. 
^'Thou shaft not be afraid for the terror by night 
nor for the arrow that flieth by day." — John 14, 

(In the above David is speaking of the man 
that '^dweileth in the secret place of the most 
High.") 

The unsanctified have doubts while the sane- 
tified have none: The man to whom God has 
lately shown himself as his Saviour has no doubts, 
so with the sanctified. The clouds are gone and 
the thunders are hushed. 

The unsanctified may have the witness of the 



76 KOLINES®, 



spirit to-day and on the morrow be praying for 
it, while the sanctified are continually praising 
and blessing God for the ''Comforter'' that is abid- 
ing with them. Furthermore^ Brother^ we know- 
that in the sanctified soul all is gentleness, meek- 
ness, temperance and love. Are you gentle,, 
meek, temperate and lovable at all times ? The 
;^anctified ''walk Avith God" as Enoch did. The 
sanctified "follow the Lamb wherever he goes.'^ 
They "eat the hidden manna. ^' 

A good Brother once said to me, "I am 
with Jesus all the time." I said^ Brother, what 
is that but sanctification ? He said, "That's 
what it is." Living without doubts and fear is 
to be in the sanctified state. If you have no bur- 
den you know by this, too, that you have enter- 
ed this state. Jesus has given you rest. Blessed 
words, '^I will give you rest,'^ 

"If you can bear, believe, hope^ and endure 
all things" you may know, by this, that all is 
well. This is true charity which we are com- 
manded to add as a final-finish to our faith. 



HOLINESS 77 



CHAPTER XXII, 



EXPERIENCES. 



The Author's Experience, 

I have often related my experience as a 
child of Grace, but have never vrritten it. Now, 
for the first time, after prayer, I attempt to give 
3"ou an idea in writing, Brother. The time has 
been when I felt embarrassed to even relate my 
experience. Being raised up by a Methodist 
mother I attended their meetings; many would 
tell of the wonderful blessing they received at 
the time of their conversion — telling the very 
place and aay of the same. And I, as I thought, 
had such a poor experience, when compared with 
theirs, as I have said, I felt embarrassed to relate 
it along with them. But thank the Lord, my 
Brother, now that I have gotten out of such feel- 
ings of fear. You know He cured a hand for 
one, while he raised to life the dead son of an- 
other. He does much for some, while not so 
much for others ; but makes all whole — every 
whit. 

About ni}^ new birth : I am like the poor 
man whose parents were illiterate. I ask him : 
How old are you. Brother? He says: ^'I cannot 
tell, from the fact that my parents kept no family 



HOLINESS. 



record^ and besides this, they went ^up higher' 
many years gone, and for this cause I can't tell 
when I was born." But with all this the poor 
man knows '^ one thing," and that is that he is 
living. I have never found a living man yet^ 
so woefully dvill that he could not tell whether or 
not he was alive. But many people belong to 
the church who would, no doubt, tell you, if 
asked, that they did not know if they were 
christians or not ! ! Well, like this poor man, I 
can't tell the very day of my conversion — or new 
Inrth — yet, like him, I know I am living, for I 
love God, and whosoever loveth is l>()rn of God. 
I know that the Holy Spirit came to me when 
very young- — about four years old. Brother ! ! I 
will never forget it, oh bless His holy name to- 
night for such an early visitation. I believe with 
all my heart that it was the voice of G>-ace I heard 
that night. This early impression seems never 
to have left me. I began soon after this to pray, 
so soon afucr that I cannot remember the time 
when I have not prayed daily. I felt that I 
loved God when but a youth. My mother, oh, 
blessed mother ! had me go to preaching and 
to Sunday School ; I studied the word very 
closely, continuing almost instant in prayer. 
About this time my Lord wonderfully saved my 
life. I was thrown from a very wild mule, Thad 
been plowing him hard, as I thought, breaking 
him down so I could ride him the easier,) one of 



holinp:ss. 79* 



my leet hung in one of the chains of the gear, 
and I in this perilous condition, was dragged 
some distance. My dear twin brother was there 
but could render me no assistance. The Lord de- 
livered me from this. Praise his holy name. 

As I grew older, the burden of my prayers 
seemed to be for a closer walk with God — to 
know more of his love, to be a holier man. I 
had a strong ^ ^hungering and thirsting after right- 
eousness,'' but somehow never thought of being 
^^filled." 

I read Fletcher on Sanctification, but some 

how ''my eyes were holden," I gained little or 
nothing from it. I still felt that there was a state 
in holiness that I had not attained, or in other 
words, a state in holiness for me to live that I 
was not living, how to attain it was the question. 
I had tried for rest many weary years- — perfect 
rest, sweet rest — ^but had failed to enter it, and 
why? Because I sought it not by faith. They 
entered not in because of unbelief." 

Along came an evangelist, the Rev. W. B. 
Godbey, (M.), he preached sanctification. The 
people said he was crazy. I went and heard 
him, he opened up the Scriptures on this subject 
as never before, to my understanding. Many 
embraced the blessing and testified with great 
rapture what the Lord had done for them. I 
began seeking the blessing faithfully and prayer- 
fully, night and day with tears I sought it. I 



Q 



HOLIXPJSS, 



was actully Avanting the evidence before I had 
the faith. 

The coming of this evangelist to our town 
waSj I belive, in August, 1885. In December 
following, after a short spell of sickness, (I was 
still seeking sanctification) one quiet Sunday 
evening sitting by the fire in dear mother's room^ 
''I made my will," as I called it. I give myself 
all over to the Lord and his service, my body as 
w^ell as my soul, for time and eternity; to be 
rsed in any way, at any plrce, and at any time 
it suited his holy purpose. This was onsecra- 
tion, and a sweet state it was, all I lacked now was 
to believe that my Lord was able to keep me 
from all sin, and to keep me all the time. In 
this state I lived very happily for four or five 
months. In the time the Rev. J. H. Collins, 
(M.) and wife, with the Rev. J. J. Smith, (M.) 
visited our town, Fulton, Ky. Thank the Lord 
for these holy people. Still I was not perfectly 
at peace, I would get on my knees anywhere in 
public or privately, and pray for the blessing — 
much abou- this time, Brother, the devil gave me 
trouble; he would reason in this manner: You 
a preacher praying before all the people for 
sanctification ! ! The people will talk about it ! 
(And they did). Your Brethren may turn you 
out, (and they may) — anything, that my Lord 
may be reigning in my poor soul without a 
rival, I am willing to be nothing that my Lord 



HOLINESS. 81 



may be all in all. Finally one night alone in 
my room — but like Jacob I was not alone, for 
Jesus was with me — I took my dear Lord as a 
perfect and a present Saviour; I believed and 
entered into rest, and peace, and perfect love. I 
had no fears, I had no doubts; glory to God, nor 
had I any burden, neither have I any burden 
this morning. I ^'walk in the light, ^' I have 
peace with God and with all men. 

The very next morning after taking my Lord 
as a present and perfect Saviour, and confessing 
the same before men, the devil came to me again 
in the way of anger. He came almost like a flash 
of lightning from a cloudless sky, but was 
gone in like manner, and has not so returned 
since. Glor}^ to God ! I now live in a land of 
light, the clouds are gone; the thunders are 
hushed; the wind has changed, and comes direct- 
ly from the high land of heaven with an increas- 
ing gale. Amen. 

The following lines I wrote, it seemed, while 
the chariot was coming for my poor soul: 



oil for the car of living- fire, 

And firey horses too 
To take my weary soul up higer, 

His Holy will to do. 

I'm tired of this poor dying rate, 

I want to run— to liy; 
The very dregs of sin to hate, 

And unto all sin die. 

I want to move among the stars 
And suns of holy men; 

Come let the lightning push the car, 
Since I h3i\j» entered in. 



82 HOLI^iFS-g. 



Oh, liow I move — ^the world is gone — 
Dropp'd like lead in the sea, 

And moving upAvards, sing my song, 
And gloiy' s precincts- see. 

And now I ride, and now I rest, 
My sins are all forgiven, 

My soul at least has her request — 
A perfect view of heaven. 



-T. W, 



Extracted From" Eld, Edgar M. Levy's ^B.,) 
Experience of Sanctification. 

'^ That night I was unable to sleep, I was 
completely broken down in heart before God. 
The vision of Isaiah seemed reproduced. '' '' I 
also saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and 
lifted up." ''Then said I, woe is me^ for I am a 
man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of 
peopleof unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen 
the Kingj the Lord of hosts." 

The morning at length dawned^ and on ev- 
ery ray I could read, ^^Walk in the light as He 
is in the light." ^'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord 
of Hosts," as chanted b}^ the Seraphine,.:. seemed 
floating through all the air. My justified soul 
was in love with this attribute of Jehovah. It 
seemed the most beautiful thing in the universe. 
As I thought of God it was not so much his pow- 
er or wisdom or justice or love that attracted my 
attention as his infinite, spotless holiness. 

That day— Friday, March 9, 1871— was ob- 
: erved by the church as a special season of fasting, 



HOLIXESS.. 83 



numiliation and prayer. My soul was in great 
agony. 1 can compare my experience on this 
memorable day to nothing else than crucifixion. 
It seemed to me that I had gone up with Christ 
to calvary, and was transfixed to the cruel and 
shameful cross, A sense of loneliness and aban- 
donment stole over ni}^ mind. ^^A horror of 
great darkness fell upon me'' and all the powers 
of hell assaulted my soul. The enemy brought 
before me, with tremendous force, my life-long 
prejudices, my theological training, my profes- 
sional standing, my denominational pride. It 
was suggested that I must leave everything be» 
hind me, should I go a step farther in this direc- 
tion. The dread of being misunderstood, of hav- 
ing my motives questioned, of being called ^ ^un- 
sound in doctrine,'' of being: sliorhted by mv min- 
isterial brethren, and treated with suspicion and 
coldness, filled my heart with unspeakable an- 
guish. Everything seemed to be sliding from 
under my feet. My sight grew dim; my strength 
departed, and faintness like unto death came up- 
on me. 

This mental conflict, however, soon subsided. 
The storm-clouds passed away and light began to 
stream in, I was now done with theorizing 
with philosophical doubts and vain speculations. 
The struggle was over. I cared no longer for the 
opinions of men. I was willing to be a fool for 
Christ, and suffer the loss of all things. I was 



Si HOLIXPJSS, 



like a little child. I cried out, ^'teacli me thy 
way, 0, Lord! and lead me in a plain path/' 
Just then the fountain of cleansing was revealed. 
Angel hands seemed beckoning m.e to enter it. 
Jesus stood before me with his bleeding wounds, 
saying, ^^Come in ! Come in !'^" 

I turned to my congregation and said, I 
stand before you to-day a poor, weak and lielp- 
less sinner, I have tried to find the way of holi- 
ness by every possible means. All my efforts, 
my struggles, my prayers, my fasting, and my 
round of duties, have proved miserable failures. 
God is making a wonderful revelation to ]ny 
long-darkened understanding. I am confident, 
now, that it is not by growth, or by effort, or by 
works of any kind, for then would our salivation 
be of works, and not of grace. If we confess our 
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
ana to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It 
is the blood that must cleanse, and keep us clean. 
^^In that day, saith the Lord, there shall be a 
fountain opened to the house of David, and to 
the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for un- 
cleanness.^' That day has come. There lies the 
fountain of my Saviour's blood. It was opened 
for me, even me. I fell upon ni}'' knees and bow- 
ed my face to the floor. For a moment I felt 
that I was sinking in a great sea and that all its 
waves were going over me. But they did not 
seem to be the waters of death. The congrega- 



HOLINESS. 85 



lion were singing, 

"I am trusting Lord in tliee. 

Bear Lamb of calvary, 
Humbly at thy cross I bow, 
Jesus saves me — saves me now. 

The spirit of God whispered these precious 
words, ^'But if we walk in the light, as he is in 
the light, we have fellowship one with another, 
and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth 
us from all sin.'' It does now, this instant ! 
cleanse ! My faith laid hold of this wonderful 
truth, A strange peace entered into my soul. I 
exclaimed within myself. I am free! my heart, 
my mind, my soul, my body, are washed in the 
blood of the Lamb. It was all so strange, so new. 
so unlike anything I had ever experienced before 
that I could not utter a word, and then the only 
sentiment of my heart was, ^'Lord, it is done, 
I am saved.'' 

When the meeting ended, I repaired immedi- 
ately to the parsonage. I experienced great phy- 
sical exhaustion like Jacob, vrho was never so 
weak as when he had just prevailed vrith the 
angel. 

I threw myself into a chair and at once the 
blessed baptism came. I seemed filled with all 
the fullness of God. I wept for joy. All night 
long I wept, all the next day, at the family altar, 
in the street, and in the sanctuary, tears contin- 
ued to flow. The fountain of my being seemed 
broken up, and my heart was dissolved in grati- 



8& HOLIKESH. 



tiicle and praise. My soul seemed filled with pul- 
ses, every one thrilling and throbbing with such 
waves of love and rapture that I thought I niust 
die from excess of life. At once 1 had a new and 
wonderful sense of the presence of Christ. Those 
words of Jesus were made real to me. '^Abide 
in me and I in you.''' I had now an abiding: 
Christ. With Mrs, Edwards I could say, ''The 
presence of God w^as so near and so real that I 
seemed scarcely conscious of anything else," 1 
seemed to be taken under the care and charge of 
my God and Saviour, in an inexpressible endear- 
ing manner. The peace and happiness which 1 
hereafter felt w^as altogether inexpressible. The 
whole world with all its enjoyments and all its 
troubles seemed to be nothing. My God w^as my 
all— my only portion. 



Testimony of J. B. McDow^ell, (M,) Fulton^ 

Kentucky. 
I am 47 years old. I professed religion when 
I was about sixteen years old, and joined the M, 
E* Church, South, and I suppose was considered 
a consistent member of the church. I had many 
ups and cloAvns in my religious life, was often 
in doubt, had gloomy times, and was often dis- 
couraged ; but wanted to live nearer God. I 
spoke to brethren at cliiFerent times, and told 
them I was not living as I should, and as I 



HOLINESS. '87 



wanted to, they consoled me by telling me- that 
my experieiiC3 was like theirs, and everybody'^s 
was the same. I spoke to ministers on the same 
subject, and received about the same answer. I 
was not satisfied, but did not know any better 
way until August, 1885, when God in his provi- 
dence sent Dr. W. B. Godbey to our church, (the 
human means used to get him here was our be- 
loved pastor, Rev. J. R. Bell), and he taught us 
the better way. All praise to our blessed 
Saviour. Dr. Godbey's theme was Holiness, 
Perfect Love, Sanctification. Hallelujah to the 
Lamb, for what he taught me. Although a mem- 
ber of the Methodist church for about thirty 
years, I do not remember to have heard a sermon 
on sanctification before Dr. Godbey came to our 
church. What w^ould father Wesley think were 
lie to hear such a statement? The Lord opened 
ni}^ understanding, I immeaiately fell in love 
wfith the doctrine. Glory to Jesus, I longed to 
have such an e:x?perience or testimony as Dr, 
Godbey. I was famishing to drink at that 
fountain. He taught us from the Bible daily ^ 
that it was true, and that the Bible was full of it» 
I hungered and thirsted after it, I panted after 
it. I thought if I was as good as some few per- 
sons I knew, I could get the blessing; the first 
thought was that I would get as good. I did not 
know how to begin, I had heard much talk of 
growth. I had about this time the daily com- 



IIOLIXESS 



panionsliip of my dear Brotlier, Rev. J. H, 
Collins, better known as Colifornia Collins, 
whose unbounded faith can nearly turn the 
world over. He told me the blessing was receiv- 
ed by consecrating all to God, stepping out into 
the world without anything but Jesus, and that 
the blessing was received instanteously. I told 
the Lord I wanted the blessing. I gave him all, 
family and all, not part, and told him I wanted 
it if it changed my name, n^y appearance, that I 
would rather die than live without the blessing, 
that instant I received it. Glory to Jesus. At 
the same moment he took the taste of tobacco 
from me, although I have been aa inveterate 
chewer for thirty years, used ten cents vv^orth per 
day, instantly I lost the taste of tobacco, and 
have never wanted it since : it is now very of- 
fensive to me. Glory to God for such a Saviour. 
Yes, all glory to Jesus. I also drank coffee three 
times per day, and had for many years. A few 
days after T was sanctified, it came to my mind 
that drinking coffee was unnecessar}^, with a cup 
lull before me, I pushed it back in the name of 
my precious Saviour, and immediately lost the 
taste for it. I have never wanted it since. Praise 
the Lord. He saves fully and completely, at 
once, time nor growth will not make any purer. 
I have been been enjoying this blessing now about 
fifteen months. I have a steady constant peace, 
a joy in the Lord all the time. I am the hap- 



HOLINESS 89 



piest, heailthiest (gained twenty-seven pounds in 
weight), man I know of. My dear wife come 
into the blessing about twenty-four hours after I 
did. I have one sanctified daughter, Mrs, Fannie 
McD. Hunter, wdio is in the Master's work with 
that grand man of God, Rev. J. H. Collins, and 
his dear wdfe, both of whom are entirely sold out 
to the Lord, God puts his seal upon their work, 
I have a sanctified son 18 years old, wholly given 
up to the Lord, ready to do anything for the 
Master at any time; and another daughter living 
near the Lord and seeking the blessing. Praise 
the Lord, we have a continual holiness meeting 
at our house, our growth is rapid now, that we 
are in grace. We have no backslidings, have a 
constant revival. Hallelujah to the Lord, 
During the last fifteen months I have attended 
over two hundred prayer meetings, ( there are 
about fifteen in our holiness band here,) the 
blessed Saviour has been with me all the time. I 
sometimes feel as if I must start out and tell 
all the world what a blessed Saviour I have 
found; one who saves from the uttermost to the 
uttermost. My blessed Saviour has the same 
power on earth now that He ever had. He heals 
me of all my sicknesses. I go to Him with 
every care, every trouble, every pain. He heals 
all my diseases both of soul and body. Glory be 
to His Holy name. My peace is constant, flow- 
ing like a grand river. 1 am cut loose out on the 



BGIAKEm, 



ocean of His love. The way is clear, no doubts., 
no fears, no disconragements, no gloom, no back- 
sliding, no effijrt or pumping up feeling. Faith 
m God gives me feeling and asf^urance. I am 
weak, but He is mighty, I know that all power 
belongs to God. I do not look to myself for 
purity or goodness. I look to Jesus. There is; 
no self, Jesus is alL. May the Lord keep me: 
from ever striking the rock in my own name ; 
there is a haflelnjah in my heart all the time. 
I got this blessing by having the blood of Jesus; 
applied by faith. I was truly and soundly con- 
verted. Jesus spoke the second time, and I wa.s 
made whole. Glory to his name. 

My dear Brethren and Sisters, in the Lord, do 
not rest until you are sanctified wholly. I 
recommend to you a Saviour whose power is un- 
limited ; walk with him, then you can con- 
tinually walk in confidence. Blessed Jesus, how 
I love you. 

But I must stop; there is not paper, pens,, 
ink, hands, or time enough to tell you, even the 
introduction of this grand blessing. Dear reader 
get it, get it, then yon will have all time and 
eternity to enjoy it. 

Bro. Wadlington, you told me to write my 
experience or testimony on sanctification, I can- 
not do it ; meet me in heaven and I will tell you 
all about it. I praise the Lord for a double ex- 
perience to-day ; justification and sanctification. 



llOLiKESS.. 91 



May God bless you and all holiness workers, 

"Oh, Jesus, Jesus, dearest Lerd 

Forgive me if I say, 
For very love, thy sacred name, 
A thousand tiraes a day." 

Yours in Jesus, 

J. B, McDowell, 



Testimony of R. M. Bolinger, (M.) 

Fulton, Ky, 

About 18 years ago, the Lord for Christ sake 
pardoned all of my sins, I don't think so, but I 
K^ow he did. I had many sweet seasons, was 
happy and loved God, but I would get in the 
back-ground, gloom, and doubts would gather 
over me so often, I tried to do my duty the best 
I could, but Satan would get the upper hand of 
me. I said and felt that there was a higher 
plane and that it was attainable in this life, but 
did not know how to get there, but had made up 
my mind to get there or die trjdng, and now I 
give him all glory and praise. 

"Once my path was dark as nighty 
Now Thy presence makes it bright." 

I praise God this beautiful morning that he 
ever sent Rev. W. B, Godbey to this place* He 
came here about 16 months ago, and taught us 
that higher life, and oh ! how grand and glorious 
is this higher life ! Hallelujah to the Lamb of 
God that taketh away the sins of the whole 



92 HOLINESS, 



AYOiid. I have put everything on the altar, when 
I did that and made a full surrender of everv- 
thing, God sanctified me. and now he keeps me 
all the time, and saves me to the uttermost, and 
noAv 

"For a thousand tongues to sing' 

My great Redeemer's praise, 
The glories of my king ; 

The triumphs of his grace." 

I ever expect to praise his great and good 
name. " Redeemer — ^liow I love to proclaim 
it !" It used to be that I could not get up and 
testify for my Saviour ; but glory be to his holy 
name I can talk for him now anywhere. T just 
want to be led by him and do his will. I am so 
glad that I can say. Thy will be done, in my 
heart. Glory to his name. 

I wish I had language to express and tell 
what the good Lord has done for me ; but when 
we get to heaven and are clothed with the 
heavenly robes, then we can talk and sing praises 
forever. And now, before I close, I want to ask 
the blessing of God to accompany this book, and 
that many souls may be led from darkness to 
light, is my prayer, blessed^^Saviour. 
Yours in Christ, 

R. M. B. 



Extracted from the Experience of Rev, 
J. H, Collins, (M.) 
^' Still I was not entirely sanctified, but felt 



HOLINESS. 93 



huigry for in )re grace. At last one evening I 
listened to a sermon upon the subject of sancti- 
fication. Under the living testimony the Hoh^ 
Spirit flashed the truth upon my mind. I saw 
there was a second and distinct state which I 
had never entered. It was the crisis. I cose 
from my seat regardless of the opinions of others 
and made my confession of the need of entire 
sanctification, and humbly claimed to embrace it 
with all its consequences. I claimed the prom- 
ise of God in relation to my own soul, and 
avowed, as He had declared, that ^Hhe blood of 
Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." As God 
had said it, so I would say it, and [ there jDlanted 
myself upon the promise for full salvation, and 
affirmed it to be a fact. I expected to feel much 
better, but when I came to examine myself, I felt 
worse. Rather there was a dearth or emptiness 
of feeling. It was a trying time. Still I avowed 
my sanctification was wrought according to the 
will of God. 

This trial of faith continued about three 
days, w^hen, while one evening engaged in public 
prayer, the power of The Highest overshadowed 
me. There was the sweetest and most satisfying 
sense of the Divine presence. Glory to God ! He 
had given the witness. My soul bathed in the 
delightful rest of the Holy Ghost. Every mem- 
ber of my being was filled with the cloud of 
Glory. My soul was satisfied as never before. I 



94 HOLINKSS', 



now realized tliat wliereas I had been walking 
along the road to heaven, often begrimmed with 
sweat and du&t, now the King's chariot had 
halted near me, and I had stepped in where T 
could career along the highway of holiness. As 
I looked upon ni}^ robes of white, 1 felt satisfied 
w^ith what God had done for me, I praised Him 
for all. In short, I rejoiced evermore, prayed 
without ceasing, and in everything gave thanks. 
But I cannot tell it alL Since that time my 
peace has flowed as a river. I have felttlie pres- 
ence of the adorable Saviour as an everlasting 
reality." 

"O wondrous bliss, O joy sublime — 
I've Jesus with me all the time." 



Rev, J. J, Smith's (M.) Testimony. 
In 1867, in Cumberland county, Kentucky. 
I was powerfully convicted of sin. I sought 
help wherever I could find it . I went to Poplar 
Grove to church and there I met the Rev. B. A. 
Cundifi. Praise the Lord for such a man full of 
faith and the Holy Ghost. He taught the way 
of salvation so plainly, my purpose was well 
established. I went home held family prayer ev- 
ery night and morning, prayed in secret every 
day. In the morning of the fourth Sunday in 
June, I went with Brother John Keen to Beech 
Grove; he preached: I prayed for the witness of 
the spirit but was too weak in faith. At 4 o'clock 



HOLINESS, 95 



p. m. the Rev. E. Right preached at Mrs. D, 
Fletcher's, I was powerfully converted, shouted 
aloud, — Peace on earth, good w^ill to men and 
glory to God in the highest. God had already 
called rne to preach, I held prayer and class 
meeting with good results. 

I was received on trial in the Memphis An- 
nual Conference at Brownsville, Tenn., hi Nov., 
1877. For nine years I have labored in the regu- 
lar work. I have witnessed about sixteen hun- 
dred conversions, I always felt it a great privilege 
to be a witness for the dear Saviour. The Lord 
gave me victory on every battle field, but I was not 
wholly sanctified. T sought sanctification by 
works — from the time I was converted until Ju- 
ly, 1885, when at Fulton, Ky,, I heard the testi- 
mon}^ of the Revs. W. B. Godbey, J. H. Collins 
and others testifying to sanctification by faith, 
additional light came into mind. The precious 
promises were no longer under a cloud. All 
things are possible to them that believe. I be- 
lieved and was w^holly sanctified. I have had fif- 
teen months of a most blessed experience. Not 
a doubt, not a fear for '' perfect love casteth out 

fear.'^ 

I have preached entire sanctification in all my 
congregations this year. Some have been sanc- 
tified. Many are seeking the same. Have had 
over two hundred conversions as thef result. 
— Experience of Rev. J. J. Smith, of Clinton, Ky., 
Oct. 27, 1885. 



% HOLINESS. 



REMARKS. 

You will see, my Brother, from the fore- 
going testimonies, that all have not exactly the 
same experience, while there is a very manifest 
agreement of spirit manifested^ and that spirit is 
the spirit of meekness^ gentleness, faith and love^ 
which is the Spirit of our Lord. We do not all 
give the same testimony, which is the stronger 
evidence in favor of this precious Bible doctrine. 
The apostles, in their account of the resurrection 
of Jesus, differ somewhat in their statements 
regarding his leaving Joseph's tomb, which has 
substantiated his rising from the dead. Had 
every one told the same thing, there might have 
been a shade of doubt about it. But by this 
apparent confliction, we are gainers and not 
loosers. So in our testimony, you see a disagree- 
ment just enough to dispel your doubts, (if in- 
clined to doubt) and to convince the skeptic (if 
not convict and convert him) of honesty at least 
(m our part. However, in the main we are a 
unit — we exactly agree — and that is this : that 
our dear Lord and Saviour has power to save 

FROM ALL STN, and to SAVE ALL THE TIME if WC 

but believe and trust him. 

Furthermore we are agreed as to the manner 
of this cleansing that it is by faith. How could 
we disagree on this, when the word is so positive 
and clear on this '^ sanctified by faith that is in 
mc/^ 



HOLINESS. 97 



If you have, my dear Brother, a desire for 
perfect love, holmess, sanctitication, and! believe 
you have, ask your kind Father in heaven now 
for what you Avant, and he will give it to you; 
but ask in faith, for that that has not faith is sin* 
This hungering for righteousness is God-given, 
and not innate, and if he gives us the appetite he 
will give us the bread — Holiness. Amen. 



§S HDXrSTEBK. 



CHAPTER XXIII 



6?ROW1B. 



Some are m tbe faitb^ it &eemsy ifmt we grow 
Into the ^octified life by degi^ees, ai:g(J that it i^ 
an impossiMlty ta be detmsed at o^isce. The 
faith that W^e are deanse^d by degrees always car- 
ties along with it the doctrine of salvation by 
Works. Thr idea is this^ that we mnst continue 
In good work that we may, by this way, work our- 
selves into holiness— going np as^ a man climb^i 
a ladder, by degrees. Tliis is mot Code's plan. He 
lias promised to save to the utmost. If we do it 
fcy our own strength we would have whereof to 
glory, btlt nol before God. Growth i^ an excuse 
to serve the devil— to gratify our passions and 
pride, with the honest intention of becoming sin- 
less some day, yon know^ not when nor where. 
Why mvlst yoit grow into the sanctified life/ 
Brother? It is either because you are not wil- 
ling to be made whole — and Holy now; or be- 
cause Godig not able to save you to-day. Which 
teason will you give ? 

Certainly you are bound to admit that the rea- 
gong you donH want to go over at once and pos- 
sess this goodly land, you don^t want to give up 
your (idols)j sins. No doubt, the thought of 
you, a poor, frail mortal, being made whole at 



TfloLiXli:K?K 



«0nce; — the devil telling yeu this -almost fills yoil 
nvith dispair. No sooner kad the feet of the 
priests l^een dipped la the hmm. *of th-e river,^ 
'^vhen Jordan was oTerflowing its bai^.ks, than 
the water was cut off from a'bove and the people 
passed over right agaii^st Jericho. Move up^ 
Brother^ at once, trusting in the ^^Lord of ^11 the 
•earth, ^^ aiud ail these imaginary demons wili 
scamper off to their own dark kennels. 

After you enter the sanctified state every 
victory nmy be yours. God will fight your bat- 
tles. 

Some have gotten into the faith that in the 
sinless state we will grow no more— but this is a 
mistake, for we are then just then prepared to 
grow. Your corn never grows so well as when 
all the weeds are out of it. We are then just 
prepared to develop and to help our poor weak 
Brother to go on to pkrfection. 

Now that there is sanctification by faith— iii 
a moment — ^and without works, the pooi^ man 
that died on one side of Jesus proves* They 
were receiving ^*the due reward of their deeds'' 
(as one testified) and in this condemned and 
dying condition the robber calls on his dying 
Lord, who hears his prayers and promises that 
he should be with Him that day in paradise. 
This man had no time to grow into a state of 
holiness, nor had he time to work out his sancti* 
fication. The work was done and done at once 



100 HOLINESS 



in the robber's case on the cross. 

Isaiah cried out, ''I am undone for, for I am 
a man of unclean lips.'' The seraphine touched 
his lips with the live coal and said, ^^Lo, this has 
touched thee and thine iniquities are taken away 
and thy sins purged." The work was quickly 
done. Then flew, right then, one of the burning 
ones — seraphine. 0, Brother ! What can move 
faster than one of these six- winged-seraphs ? The 
living creatures that Ezekiel saw had only four 
wings, and he sa3^s of them. '^And the living 
creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a 
flash of lightning! ! " If the four-winged-creatures 
made their errand as a flash of lightning we are 
lost in amazement at the movements of the six- 
winged-seraphine. Then flew one of the sera- 
phine ! ! Away, then, with the doctrine of grow- 
ing by degrees out of our sins. This ignis fatuus 
may lead you into the lake of fire and brimstone, 
and leave you to writhe in despair with undying 
worms. 

Our dear Lord needs no time but now to 
wash you and make you whiter than snow. 

While Daniel was praying and confessing, 
the man ! Gabriel, was caused to ^^fly swiftly" to 
comfort him. 

We read that in a moment — in the twink- 
ling of an eye ! the dead shall be brought to life 
and the living changed ! ! And you want time to 
grow ! ! 



HOLINESS. 101 



He which testifieth these things saith, ^^Sir, 
I come quickly; Amen. Even so come Lord Je- 
sus." — Rev. 



102 HOLINESS 



CHAPTER XXIY 



How IS Man ? 

The Theologians ! of modern times have got- 
ten into faith that man is a trinality in his na- 
ture — that is that he is threefold, Spirit, soul and 
body; This I utterly denounce. I have looked 
close in the word and fail to find out man's trin- 
ity. This would make man like his Maker— 
trinal. The brute, I understand to be a unit, 
man binary or two-fold, and God a trinity. Fa- 
ther — Son — and Holy Spirit. 

The question now is How is man ? I say, bi- 
nary. See him in his creation. The first man 
was ^^CREATED^^ — ^madc of nothing. The last man 
was '^FORMED of the dust of the earth/' 

The first man had nothing to do, but had 
' 'dominion over the fowls of the air and over the 
beasts of the earth, over the fishes of the sea, and 
over every herb bearing fruit.'' He was a mighty 
ruler and had for his realm the earth and sea — 
and dominion over all things therein — animate and 
inanimate. 

The last man ' 'formed of dust'^ was restrict- 
ed to the limits of Eden. 

He had to ''dress and keep the garden" — 
had to labor. He could not, as the first man, 
("created.'') eat of every herb. He might eat of 



HOLINESS, 103 



all the trees save one, ^^The tree of the knowledge 
of good and evil.'' 

^^Inthe image and likeness of God," the 
first man was — ''created," but this is not so said 
of the second man — ''formed of the dust." There 
is no account of a creation of a third man in man, 
so we see that in his creation he is binary. May 
we not reasonably say that the "created" or first 
man was the soul or spirit, and that the man 
^'formed" was the temporal or material man? 
Man is two-fold and the account of his creation is 
repeated. - 

How is man ? See him in his nature. In 
him is the positive and the negative — the mater- 
ial and the immaterial. His passions go forth 
in pairs. He loves or hates. He weeps or he re- 
joices. He is in ease or he is in pain, &c. 

But where in man is the inner man? I 
might first name the face as the place to find the 
soul or spirit, for here are all the senses centered. 
How common the saying, "You could almost see 
his soul in his eyes." 

Some have ascribed it a place in the brain, 
about the cerebrum and the cerebellum, for from 
thence it seems the various parts of the body are 
controlled. 

Some have said, wdth some degree of reason 
too, that the heart w^as the seat of the soul, for in 
the word one is named often when the other 
is intended as, "I will take away the hard and 



104 HOLINESS 



stony heart out of thy flesh and will give you a 
heart of flesh.'* And agam, ''With the heart 
man believeth unto righteousness'^ — ''The heart 
is deceitful above all things and desperately 
wicked/' 

Others, not without reason, have said that the 
blood was the soul. For in the scripture it is 
said, "Thou shalt not eat the blood for it is the 
life of the flesh." Lev., 17 : 11 : 12. 

Finally others have said that the soul or 
spirit was in every part of man — in his heart, 
head, hands and feet — in all and in every part of 
him, which I most believe; for St. Paul says, 
"There is a natural body and there is a spiritual 
body." — 1 Cor., 15,44. After our Lord's resurrec- 
tion when he appeared to the disciples the}^ were 
afl'righted, supposing they had seen a spirit. Our 
Lord said, " A spirit hath not flesh and bones ; " 
conveying the very idea of a "spiritual body." 

Now, my dear Brother, here is the idea. If 
the spiritul man be in every part of man, which 
1 believe is most generally accepted, and he ( the 
spiritual man) be pure and holy is it not reason 
itself that every part of the material man be pure 
and holy— r sanctified and meet for the master's 
use ? 0! Brother, how plain; may Jesus help you, 
and help you right now to be made whole — to be 
saved from all sin. Reader, pray for sanctifica- 
tion — for faith to believe all that Jesus has prom- 
ised. Glory to his holy name. 



holinp:ss. 105 



In the account of men's creation and forma- 
tion above quoted, I simply ask if it may not be 
thai, the '^created" man answered to or was the 
spiritual man, while the man formed was the 
material man. The first man was ^ ^created," 
made of nothing; the second man ^'formed" 
was made of the dust of the earth. See Gen. 1st 
and 2nd chapters. We might suppose that the 
first man was the fountain from which flowed the 
inhabitants of Nod, where Cain found his wife ; 
and we might suppose on to time's end, regard- 
ing the double creation. I only suppose with 
some degree of reason. 



tOij mxi:r5;i^B' 



CKAPTER XXV 



How [ WAs^KxcLUHEi) From 'f:HE Baptist CnuRcir. 

Dear Brother, I was^ excladed from the Bap^ 
tist churcli' for the do-ctriiie tattght in tliis little 
Ibook, in the- uio-st iiiiceremomoiTS ami iinl awful 
way. Prior to the piTblication of tWs' little book,, 
I had published a piuupblet on the same subject^ 
which brought upon- the writer the arfathemas of 
some Baptist^upon which I told the pastor of the 
cliureh of wliich I Avas a n^ ember, to try me if I 
Was a heretic ! as I had been called, and tliat I 
tvas no Baptist if Baptist did not beliere in holi- 
ness; but no trial came. Why I was denied a fair 
trial and hearing I can't tell^ the Lord knowetlu 
I am willing to suff^n^ for his name sake. 

However, in my absence— (no committee 
ever having called on me nor was I cited in any 
\vay to trial), T Was arraigned as a heretic and 
turned ottt without the least chance of defence and 
no one to plead my cause I And then in the most 
uncharitable way advertised by the church paper?s 
over the south and west as a ''heretic" and ''arch 
heretic:'^ all for the doctrine taught in this book 
^"Holiness!'' 

The '"'Recorder,^' of Louisville, Ky^, came 
out about this way: 

"Elder Thos. Wadlington, of Fulton, Ky., 
has been excluded from the church at that place 



^AoxiiNiEss, 10"^ 



for heres;y, and is now somewhere in Texas trying 
to convince the people that he is a signless man.'' 

We are '<?ertainlj right in 'Conchacling that 
Baptist do not believe in H<5liness if the Recorder 
may speak for the church, as it don^t seem te 
think that man can be sinless. 

Nothing but niobocrac^^ deals with a man ae 
I was dea.lt with by people professing to be a 
'church ! — yes the church ! and the ONLY and 
TRUE CHURCH (1 !) I will say, however, that 
there were quite a number of the members of the 
-church who denoimced the waj- in which I was 
dealt with as ^^unfair, unscriptual and as anything 
but christain in spirit.'^ 

Having started to Zion when but a lad, unit^ 
ing with the church— the M. E. church, South — 
and afterwards with the Baptist church believing 
its teachings to agree nearest AVith the Bible, I 
was fearful I would do something that would ex- 
clude me from the church, but the storm came in 
the opposite direction from the w^ay I expected it. 
T, like Joseph, wavS sold by my brethren, but God 
was with him in Egypt and so I am sweetly rest- 
ing in the Lord, with my face heavenward and 
heart and treasures there, I love everybody and 
pray for my persecutors— The Lord save them. 

Now, my beloved and dear Brother, if you 
want to* know what heresy is with some ^ ^Land- 
mark Baptist*' read this little book. 

In conclusion, ni}^ Brother, I am— where a 



108 HOLINESS. 



sufficient number can be had — organizing what 
we call ^'Holiness Associations'' on the principles 
following : 

ARTICLE I — Conditions of Membership. 

Any may come into this Association who feel 
they are holy or sanctified now, or those who are 
praying earnestly to be made so in this life. 
ARTICLE IiLwho May Become Members. 

Any may come into this Association who are 
members of any church, or those who are not nor 
ever have been members of a church. 
ARTICLE III.— Baptism. 

Any that are satisfied with their baptism, no 
matter how or when they recieved it so they are 
honestly persuaded that they have there and then 
complied with God's holy word, may come into 
this Association. 

ARTICLE IV.— Officers. 

There shall be three officers in each Associ- 
ation. First, a leader , who shall either lead the 
meeting or appoint some one to do so. Next, 
there shall be a Secretary, who shall record the 
names of all members received, of those that are 
lettered off*, expelled, or die. Finally, a Treas- 
urer, who shall take care of all free-will off"erings 
either from members or friends of this Associa- 
tion. 

ARTICLE v.— Time of Meeting. 

This Association shall meet weekly on any 



HOLINESS. 109 



day and at any hour most convenient to the mem- 
bers. 

ARTICLE YI.— Meetings, How Conducted. 

Generally by reading a part of God's Word, 
prayer, and holy testimony: also singing such songs 
as agree with the teachings of the Bible, All the 
members are expected to take part in some one 
of these forms of devotion, 

ARTICLE VII. 

Members of churches who are members of 
this Association should remain loyal to their 
churches if permitted so to remain. 

ARTICLE VIII.— Assessments. 

No assessments shall be made for any inter- 
est in this association. 

ARTICLE IX.— Salaries. 

No charges shall be made by any officer of 
this association, for services rendered. 

ARTICLE X.— Offerings. 

All offerings shall be made voluntarily and 
of a free-will as God has prospered the giver. 
ARTICLE XI. — Offerings, How Applied. 

The offerings of every association shall be 
the property of that association, and shall be ap- 
plied in any way that is holy and charitable, that 
the majority of the members think best. 

ARTICLE Xll. — Withdrawal from a Member. 

Unholy words or ways, after a charitable and 



110 HOLINESS. 



faithful consideration of the case, may be cause 
suflficient for exclusion, on a vote of a two-thirds 
majority of the members. 

ARTICLE XIII— The Name. 
This Association shall be known as and call- 
ed the Holiness Association, at such and such a 
place. 

""^ APOLOGY. 

I know of no better thing to do, my Brother, 
than pursue this plan of organizing these associ- 
ations, my condition certainly inipells me this 
way, and the condition of the churches demand 
it. Certainly no church should object to its 
members joining this association, since they per- 
mit them to join the Masons and other orders not 
Ecclesiastical. 

I haven't time to speak specially on the 
^ ^condition'' of the church referred to above, but 
simply say since moneyed men often run the 
church, and not the spiritual, and since Holiness 
has become a cause of exclusion from the church, 
and since most all churches have adopted the 
''assessment" plan to defray her expenses, cer- 
tainly this condition demands a remedy. 



The way in whicn I have been treated by 
the Baptist in these parts, from all I can learn, 
is but a repetition of the way in which Eld. Thos. 
L. Garret was served some forty years ago — who 
long since has gone to his reward. 



INDEX. 

CHAPTER. PAGE 

1. CaD a Man be a Christian and Not Know 
It? 5 

2. The Flesh and the Spirit 7 

3. The Commandments 14 

4. The Kingdom of Heaven 17 

5. Consecration 20 

6. Examples of Consecration . 23 

7. Holiness 24 

8. Holiness^ Prophecies of 29 

9. Sanctification 31 

10. Sanctification, How Obtained 35 

11. Examples of Sanctification 38 

12. Scriptures Seemingly Contradictory to 

Sanctification 46 

13. Testifying 50 

14. Faith Healing 53 

15. Commandments to Pray for the Sick and 

Examples of Same 57 

16. Baptists, of all People, Should Teach the 

Doctrine of Sanctification 59 

17. The Mixed Creature 62 

18. Why we Sin after Conversion 65 

19. St. Paul's Experience. 69 

20. Debates 72 

21. The Witness of Sanctification 75 

22. Experiences 77 

23. Growth 98 

24. How is Man ? 102 

25. How I was Excluded from the Baptist 

Church 106 

ABBREVIATIONS. 
The letter 3 stands forBaptist— tlie letter M for Methodist. 



Errata, 



On page 9, fourth line from bottom after 
*'bird," insert comma and read '^the bat has been 
pronounced neither bird nor beast.'- 

On page 36, tenth line from top, read "being'' 
instead of "begin." 

Also same page thirteenth line from top, read 
** confronts" instead of "conforts." 

On page 101, first line, read "surely" for "sir" 



HOLINESS 

UNTO THE 

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